In This World
by Chibi-Chanx
Summary: The Jolly Roger is exactly what she thought it would be, a large chunk of wood with some sails. Yet, Emma was finding herself becoming a pirate due to the infamous Hook. A princess shouldn't be consorting with pirates who stole from her own families fleets. A princess who will find out how cruel pirates can be when you stand between a pirate and his treasure. AU. No Curse
1. Shackles Won't Stop Them

Okay! So, I was into OUAT when it first came out but then I got behind episodes and have recently caught up! I'm so glad I did! This show has recently caught my writing motivation, and I hope that you enjoy this story and all of it's AU goodness (hopefully!)

It's set in the Enchanted Forest (as you can probably gather after reading it) it's a Captain Swan (eventual) story, that will have a lot of romance, adventure, and possible angst in very far off future chapters. I have a majority of this story plotted out in the depths of my mind, and probably should've written it all out before I started posting it here, but I find that that can cause long hiatus' because I forget to upload them!

So, onto In This World!

Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or any of the characters, they all belong to ABC/Disney corporations!

* * *

Emma's wrists should've been sore from the chains locked around her wrists. Her arms were so numb from their position she was scared they would never feel again. If that wasn't bad enough, her lips were dried and cracked, and her skin was covered in a layer of sweat and grim. Damn her captor. Damn everything. She should've listened to her mother and stayed inside the carriage. They probably thought she was dead – taken advantage of, tortured and killed. It was worse enough not knowing where she was, but not knowing what even became of her parents was the real torture. Sitting alone in a dank cell room was horrible on her nerves, but she was depending on breaking free eventually.

The cell door clanged as it was opened and a man was dragged in and attached to the wall across from her. His forehead was bleeding into his eye and he was unresponsive to the jeers or hits the guards gave him. One turned towards her and eyed her body up and down, causing her to sneer at him. She spat at him one day, but she learned that she would just be hit if she did that. It was best if she kept her strength for later. She would need it, especially after so long with minimal food and water, just enough to keep her alive, but not enough to give her enough strength and persistence that she could coherently think about an escape plan.

The guard just grinned at her before following his partner out. She was just glad that the man hadn`t done anything more than do his sick eye perusal every time he saw her. She was happy that she looked so disgusting, otherwise he probably would`ve tried something, and she knew that if he did she would break. There was so much she could handle and that, she decided, would be her breaking point.

Hours went by before the man across from her woke up. A groan caused her to jump and then a clang as he tried to pull his arms down. He cursed and yanked roughly at his bindings. Emma didn`t try to stop him, just watched as he tugged and pulled until his wrists were raw and bleeding from the metal edges. When he finally gave up catching his breath, his eyes caught hers. She could barely make out the colour in the poor light, but she knew they were blue. His skin was slightly tan and he had stubble dusting his jaw. From his clothing choice, she knew he must be a pirate.

He licked his lips idly, frowning, "What're you doing here, lass?"

She tugged lightly at her arms, wincing at the pain. "Hanging around," she croaked out, wincing at the sound of her voice. "Typical lady like things," she bit out. He laughed at her attempt at humor. She jutted her chin towards him, deciding that speaking was more painful than anything she had felt so far.

"Someone knocked me over me head," he grumbled, "Taken captive after a bloody wench stole my coin purse."

The corner of Emma's mouth curled up slightly. He stared at her curiously for a moment, "How long have you been here, lass?"

"What is the season?" she asked quietly, but even that was a harsh whisper.

"The snow has fallen."

Her eyes widened, "Again?" she whispered, and she ducked her head, hair falling to obscure her face. A year give or take since she had been captured. Her parents had surely mourned her lost. Her parents surely had moved on and were trying to reclaim their happiness. Maybe even having another child to continue their line. Losing one child and deciding to have another to fill the hole in their life.

It was silent for the longest time. When she finally lifted her head, she saw the sympathy in his eyes. "Killian Jones."

"What?" she grumbled, looking away. She didn't want his sympathy.

"My name, lass," he chuckled, "If we are to spend some time together, thought we could learn each other's names."

She gave him a look and shook her head. He stared at her curiously for a while before nodding, "A name can be a powerful thing, very well, lass. You have the power of knowing my name."

They fell into silence, mostly because she feared she would lose her voice forever if she kept talking in this state. She needed to be able to speak whenever she finally got out of this blasted cell. He was silent, one eye shut, probably bothered by the blood still seeping down his eye, but at a much more sluggish pace this time.

It wasn't long until Emma fell asleep in her position, and not long after that a guard came in. He sneered at the two of them before placing two cups of water on the floor and two bowls of what looked like sludge. "Enjoy yer meal, heathens," he grumbled before walking back out. Killian stared at the food incredulously.

"How in bloody hell are we suppose to eat that-" before he could finish the sentence, he felt his arms slacken so suddenly that the weight of the cuff around his wrist clipped his head and stunned him for a moment. Emma rotated her wrists and let out a quiet moan of relief before standing on unsteady legs and moving towards the center of the room and picking up her share of the food. "Why not just let us loose unless they want in the cell?"

Emma carefully drank her water, revelling in the feeling but knowing better than to gobble down her food and drink. Once she knew her throat was well enough to speak, she spared him a glance, "It makes our arms weaker over time," she explained flexing her arm and giving her poor muscles a disappointed look. She wasn't going to tell him that she generally did arm exercises to keep up at least minimal strength. Including attempting to lift herself off the ground by pulling on the chains. That accounted for most of the bruising and cuts littering her wrists.

"Clever," he muttered, examining the wall as he scooped up his food.

He spent their entire mealtime asking her questions about their jail between mouthfuls. She answered them to the best of her ability; he was the first friendly contact she had in a while. The guards were hostile, uncaring, or very, very interested in her womanly assets. That just wasn't something she was willing to indulge in.

If she and Killian had met under other circumstances, she wouldn't give him the time of day.

However, once he strayed into more personal territories, she locked up her responses faster than a respectable family locking their valuables when they knew a pirate was near. Thankfully, on her part, there was a sharp tug on their bindings. Emma got up and moved back to her old position, he stared at her curiously, but she said nothing. A moment later, the chains were yanked on hard enough that Killian fell backwards and was dragged back to his side of the room.

"Bloody hell!" he quipped after he got over the shock, "Couldn't have warned me, lass?"

"Some things are easier to learn the hard way," she shrugged her shoulder and offered him a grin. Instead of a smirk, which had donned his face from the get go was replaced with a smile in return.

"Aye, lass, that they are."

-ღ-

"How long do you think we've been in here?" Killian asked a few weeks later, his arms were beginning to feel a lot like how the woman's across from him looked. He was use to his left arm being sore and weak for a portion of his life, but it felt awful that both of them were like this. He wouldn't let anyone know he was feeling like that however, he had too much pride. The woman's eyes opened and she stared at him for a moment.

"Don't care to count anymore," she murmured quietly, eyes flickering briefly towards a set of markings on the back wall. He could vaguely make out a great deal of scratches, marking the days passed. Or at least the times she had gotten meals. He had assumed that was how she was counting days, because it was how he was.

"Care to tell me your name, lass?" he asked, once more. He had tried at least every other day. Providing her with a bit of insight into his life as a pirate to see if she could open up and tell him her name. So far, it had been fruitless, but those who knew him knew he loved a challenge. The lass just shook her head, and his mouth created a firm line. "Then I will just have to come up with something to call you."

"Oh, this should be good," she bit at him, a bit sarcastically, "It can't be any worse than being called lass for three weeks straight."

"I could be calling you love, love," he winked at her, before quirking his eyebrow at her rolling eyes, "I'll think up a name soon, just have to find one that suits your lovely personality."

Emma studied him for a moment before rolling her eyes again. "Fine, my name is-"

The door opened and one of the guards strolled in, "Thought there was an agreement," the guard grinned at her, "No one we place in this cell gets your name." She glared at him darkly, not saying anything. His eyes narrowed, "Now you aren't speaking? Well, guess what, girl, you're getting an upgrade."

The look on his face made her blood run cold, but instead of cowering back. She spat in his direction and she felt the sharp pain of his leathered hand smacking against her cheek. Her head snapped to the side and she felt blood well up in her mouth. She spat on the ground, seeing it darkened by the blood. Her eyes narrowed.

"Oi!" Killian snapped, "That's not how you treat a lady!"

The guard ignored him and unlocked Emma's chains. Her arms fell and she felt a rush of blood pulse through them, almost painfully. She winced but wasn't able to feel relieved by being able to actually feel her finger tips again when the guard grabbed her by her arm and hoisted her to her feet.

"Don't worry, you'll like my chambers," the guard grinned at her.

A sudden change washed over Emma, surprising the guard. With her arms free, she grabbed the dagger on his belt, and with her, other arm grabbed the neck of his armor. He threw his arms out to shield himself but she already plunged the dagger at his neck. He fell down, the keys falling from his grip. Emma would've regretted it if she didn't have the feeling that she wasn't the first female prisoner that he had tormented. Now she would be the last. She grabbed the keys and looked at her new cellmate. He had a look of surprise that was suddenly replaced with hope as he stared at the keys.

Her eyes closed and she knew she was going to regret this but...she grasped the keys tighter and did what she knew was the right thing for her.

She shoved the keys into the lock and unlocked his binds. She didn't wait for him to stand up before she was out the door. The dagger was still secure in her hands and she looked up and down the halls.

Killian stood behind her, "That was bad form," he informed the corpse, before bending down and rummaging through the man's pockets. Once he had decided nothing was valuable enough to keep, except a large coin purse, he headed out after the girl.

"Do you remember anything coming in?" she questioned him, eyes still looking up and down the corridors.

He followed her gaze before pointing to a wooden door, "That's where a bloke took my bloody things."

"First stop," Emma murmured, slipping down the hall moving quietly. Killian was surprised, she was a fiery lass who seemed exactly what to do in this situation. She would make a good pirate, he decided. She ducked under the portion of the door that had a grate to see inside as he slipped up to the other side. They looked at each other and he stepped in front of the door and kicking it in.

The two guards in the room looked up, surprised. Anger quickly replaced their features, followed by confusion and then amusement. He had no weapons. They headed out, but just after the first, one lunged for Killian. Emma caught the other one in the side of the temple with the pommel of the dagger. The man fell like a sack of flour just as Killian bashed the others head against the rock wall.

They shared another look before entering the room. Emma routed through the chests until she found what she was looking for. A blade that Killian noted looked way too expensive for a lass to be carrying around. As he collected his things, Emma dragged one of the unconscious guards back into the room and stripped him.

"If you want to strip a man, lass, you need only ask," he winked at her as he picked something out of the chest. She tossed him a very unamused look before tugging on the armour over her rags. She attached the sword belt and sheathed the sword. Killian had to admit, she looked almost regal in the way she stood and in the armour.

"Are you done?" she asked impatiently. He raised the hook, locking it into place on his left arm. She studied him with a thoughtful expression. "Captain Hook."

"So, you've heard of me?" he grinned but she was already heading to the door.

"Yes, you've raided many ships," she looked at him, "Probably bedded more women, and drank more beer than any man should in his life time."

"Jealous, love?"

Emma opened the door and stepped out, "Only of your adventures."


	2. Marked For Death

Here's the second chapter! I'm writing this as part of my NaNoWriMo story! I've got quite a bit of it planned out/written out already, so, hope you enjoy this chapter!

Please review if you can!

Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or any of the characters, they all belong to ABC/Disney corporations!

* * *

They didn't really know what to expect from their prison but this wasn't it. Emma stared at the crumbling wall and frowned. Whoever had kidnapped them was not someone wealthy, it just didn't make sense. Why would someone of important background bring a princess and...a pirate – was he actually a Captain or did he just use that title to scare people? – to ruins? If they wanted any sympathy from her parents and her kingdoms allies, they would've had to take better care of her. She wasn't about to jump to conclusions, of course. Her carriage was randomly attacked and a wealthy woman was kidnapped. Possibly for ransoms, maybe for something else. She shuddered to think of what could've happened to her.

"This is a bloody hell hole," Hook muttered picking up a rock and examining it, "These rocks have been weathered, but the dust amongst the ground is disturbed."

"They've been occupying the ruin for quite some time," Emma added, looking around for any hint that screamed 'Here is a relatively safe exit!'. No such thing popped out at her. Her companion tossed the rock onto a pile of rubble. "How long were you conscious before?"

"Just after I got through," he jerked his chin towards the door, "Must've not hit me head hard enough."

Emma nodded and headed towards one of the still intact doors. She examined the floor and glanced over at the other doors. The dust disturbed could indicate how often the room was used, but the scratches from the door scraping along the floor were more proof. She pressed her ear against the door and listened. Hook walked over to another door examining that one curiously. She ignored him as she listened. Hook opened the door and there was a brief period of silence before she heard someone cry out in anger and the clash of swords. She twisted around to see Hook going against two armed men.

"Idiot," she grumbled and unsheathed her sword, she didn't need it however. Hook twisted one of his enemy's weapons out of his grasp before stabbing the other man in the neck with his hook. Emma hurried over just as Hook smashed the pummel of his sword against the unarmed man's temple. To say she was impressed would be overstating it, sure, she admitted his was adept with a sword but that didn't mean she was impressed. "I want to make it out alive-"

"Lass," he sheathed his sword before pulling out a scarf to wipe the blood from his hook and face, "We'll make it out alive, but who is to say we'll stay alive? Showing these bastards we aren't afraid of them will make them question coming after us again. Raise a little hell."

Emma pursed her lips together. If she got back to her family, they surely wouldn't be able to go after her again very easily. Him on the other hand...er hook? She nodded her head before glancing into the room. "What interested you about this room anyway?"

"It's their treasury," he explained, walking in and heading towards the crates at the back. He popped the top off one and examined its contents. Furs. "Can't you smell the amount of metal in the air?"

She shook her head and he gave her a curious look before moving onto the next crate, he opened it and she saw gold twisted into all sorts of artifacts. Hook picked one up that looked like a plate and examined it. As if he was appraising it for its wealth. He scoffed, "These are painted to mimic gold," he attempted to bend the plate but it didn't budge. "See?"

Now that impressed Emma, he was able to tell what was gold just by looking at it. Obviously these as he said 'bastards' didn't know much about what they were getting. They looked through a few more crates. Emma attempting to find anything useful they could bring, while Hook examined the table that sat in the middle of the room when he picked up a coin purse, attached to note. He read it aloud to her, "'_Here is the payment. The rest will come when you finish the job._' Bloody mercenaries it is then."

"Mercenaries?" Emma parroted, looking at him with disbelief, "Mercenaries kidnapped us? Don't they usually deal with hacking and slashing?"

"For a good price, love, they are willing to do whatever you pay them to."

"For gods sake," she grumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"As long as it benefits them in the long run, that is," he explained, pocketing the coin bag and examining her for a moment. "Though, I still fail to see why either of us would be worth all this trouble."

Oh, if he only knew. She shrugged a shoulder before turning her attention back to the crate. Nudging aside the useless items, she saw something lying amongst the bottom and picked it up. A gold compass that looked like it was stuck facing one way, and it wasn't pointing north. In fact, it was useless; it didn't even have any directions printed onto the base, just the arrow. She examined it a few more moments before tucking the chain around her neck and hiding the compass within her breastplate. She turned around to see him digging through a chest and pulling out cloaks. "We'll need these," he hummed before handing her one. "For when we escape."

She thanked him quietly and pulled it on, "Let's get to the escape portion."

"After you," he smirked and waved to the door. "Let your expertise guide us out."

Emma rolled her eyes and brushed past him. They headed from the treasury room and towards the room Emma had originally wanted to go through. The door revealed a hall that had crumbled on one side revealing the outside night sky. Both of the companions examined the drop and wordlessly agreed that even if they could risk it, they would probably end up with a broken bone or two. Not something smart to travel with. They continued.

Her adrenaline was starting to decline, making her more and more aware of the heaviness of the armour and the weariness of her muscles. Too long without food and water was starting to take its toll on her. If she didn't get a proper night's sleep, food and water, she would surely die within the next few hours. However, she hid her discomfort and struggle well. Being a princess also meant that any discomforts of wearing tight corsets so she could barely breath, and heels that pinched and dug into her feet, were to be kept to herself. At least until the end of the day where she freely complained to her parents, and said she would've rather been born a male so she could wear pants and comfortable boots to balls and parties.

Hook unconsciously let Emma take the lead; he had started to lead once they had gotten past the crumbled hallway but he fell behind her and let her guide the way. Even if neither of them knew the way. They were heading further into the ruins without meaning to. Emma didn't muse her thoughts of their only being one exit aloud, because the moment she did that she knew that she would have to face the possibility that it would be surrounded by more mercenaries. Sure, the two of them could stand a chance if she wasn't malnourished and he wasn't suffering the same thing but of a lesser degree. Now, she didn't want to admit that they couldn't stand a chance if that occurred.

So, they continued in silence.

"Odd that there isn't many guards," he whispered to Emma, his breath tickling her neck as she peered around a corner. She shrugged one of her shoulders, the movement severely downplayed by the armour. "Where do you think they are?"

"Probably doing what they are paid to do, ransack people's lives," she murmured back and started down a hall. Hook's hook caught her armour and pulled her back. He pointed to a slightly open door down the adjacent hallway that had an orange glow leaking out from it. He placed a finger to his lips but she didn't need to be told. Fire meant someone was there, and that was a mercenary. Hook moved first slowly unsheathing his sword; she barely heard the scrape of the metal that normally sounded out like a scream in the middle of the night. Nudging the door open, they crept inside. A man was bent over the fire, adjusting the logs with the tip of his sword.

Emma shivered at the thought of having to fight against a man with a sword that was just in the fire. However, she quickly found out she didn't need to. Hook crept up behind the crouching man and pulled him into a choke hold. The man's sword fell onto the fire sending a spray of embers up, the two struggled but soon the man fell unconscious and Hook deposited him onto the ground. Emma quickly crouched beside the men and fished through his pockets, finding a note within the pouch that hung from his side. Her mouth pressed into a thin line. The writing was familiar but she couldn't place where she had seen it. "What does it say, love?"

"Go back to calling me lass," she grumbled, standing up, she handed it to him to read.

"Your kidnapping payment amount," he said eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Why would anyone pay so much money to kidnap you?" She could hear the part accusation and part actual curiosity in his voice. He couldn't figure it out, and she was glad. She simply ignored his words and looked about the room. So far, it was the nicest room they had entered. A bed in the corner meant that someone slept in the room, and judging by the amount of armour and money this man had on his person, she assessed that he was the leader of this operation. Also the reason why he had the note about his current, and highest, paying job.

She bent down, a frown gracing her features.

"What are you doing, lass?" he asked, "He ain't got anything else of importance."

"Exactly," she breathed and stood up, staring at him. "Where is the note hiring them to kidnap you?"

"Probably with some lesser..." he stopped talking when she drew the dagger from before and pressed the tip to his throat. "Lass...what are you doing."

"How do I know you aren't working for these men, or working for someone else?" she demanded, putting a bit more pressure on the dagger.

"Have I lied to you yet?" he asked, not stepping away to lessen the pressure. Emma had been gifted with what she liked to call a magical power. She was able to tell when anyone was lying. She stared at him intently. "I am a prisoner just like you were, I will not harm you."

She wanted to believe him, but at the same time, she didn't. Sometimes, she had to admit, her powers went haywire when she was too close to the situation. That on top of her current malnourished state meant that she couldn't be a hundred percent sure that her lie detecting ability was working properly. He held no fear in his eyes and wasn't backing down, and that unnerved her a bit. From what she knew, people generally cowered away from a blade to their throat.

A loud caw startled her, the blade dug a bit into his throat and she pulled it away a thin line of blood already forming. He looked a bit surprised, but just reached up and touched his cut before giving her a thoughtful look. Emma turned to the newest threat so she wouldn't feel sorry for hurting him. A large raven sat on the windowsill, tilting its head looking at them with dark eyes. It cawed again and scratched at the sill with its foot. Waiting for someone to take the letter tied to its leg. Emma approached calmly, with Hook making a warning noise, which could've been something he said but she ignored him. The bird flew towards her and landed on her shoulder, she froze slightly before reaching up and taking the scroll from it.

The raven leaned towards her hand and pecked. Emma jumped and cursed before the bird flew off. She waved her hand, before examining the wound. The raven's beak had broken her skin, blood was welling up already. She brushed off her wound and unravelled the scroll. She felt Hook standing behind her, reading the scroll. They were silent. "There's your proof, lass," he murmured close to her ear, "They were going to kill you and frame it on me. The dreaded pirate captain." With a sigh she turned around, he grasped her hand and examined the wound. His eyes met hers before he pulled something out of his pocket – a flask, and uncorked it; he poured the contents over the wound. She cursed again, but louder. "A curse from your lips sounds absolutely sinful," he winked before pulling out a scarf and wrapping her hand with it.

"What was that?" she demanded, as he used his mouth and good hand to finish tying the scarf. His eyes met hers and her breath nearly hitched.

"Rum and a bloody waste of it," he sighed, picking up the cork and replacing it back in the flask again. He put the rum flask back into his coat. "An animal bite should be treated with more concern than you showed."

Emma studied his face for a moment, a look that he had yet seen on her face present. He couldn't distinguish the emotion behind it before she threw up a wall around herself and she turned her attention back to the note.

She recognized the writing even more now, and the symbol at the bottom. Her mind flipped through various people whom she knew wrote with symbols. It clicked after a moment, when she was younger she had found a book that contained spells – a book that her parents didn't know about. Within it, there were scribbles along the side from someone who use to live with her mother.

The Evil Queen.

Her most common moniker, however, she was Regina. A powerful witch who had nearly caused the entire Enchanted Forest their happy endings. With the help of Rumplestiltskin, her parents had been able to avoid the curse. They, in return, and helped him secure a way to find his son. Last she knew of the Dark One, was he had his son back and they lived contently with a woman named Belle further north, close to Sir Maurice's lands.

"Looks like Regina overstepped her treaty rules," Emma murmured, tossing the note into the fire. If the mercenary leader woke up, he will have never gotten the note. Hook's eyes darkened.

"Regina is behind this? That bloody wench," he grumbled before hesitating, "Treaty?"

She closed herself off again, "The Evil Queen isn't supposed to have any influence outside her own corner of the world. She's able to live as a Queen and has rights to be treated as a true Queen of the realm, as long as she abides by the Treaty. Queen Snow and King James signed it a while ago, don't you know of the treaty?"

He paused, "You're from that kingdom?"

She simply nodded, not willing to divulge further into her past, and defiantly not touching on the fact that she was the Princess of the beloved True Love couple. He watched her for a moment before turning away and striding towards the door. "We should get out of here; gather what supplies we can find. If Regina is behind all this, then we best leave while we still can. She won't be pleased if she finds out that we're still alive, and even worse if she finds out we escaped."


	3. Into The Jungle

Emma hitched the bag higher onto her shoulder and followed Hook. She had found lighter clothes that she switched into. Now fitted with leather and fur to keep her warm instead of the heavy and physically draining armour she wore before. In addition, the leather was much more silent than the loud and bulky metal. Hook had complained about the noise she made as they gathered supplies. The mercenaries were either stupid or excessively overconfident. They didn't have enough men guarding there, what Emma assumed, base.

They had yet to find a reliably safe exit and returned to the crumbled hallway. They had figured that their best bet was just to jump down. Hopefully in a way that included little to no damage on their selves. Hook placed his bag down before settling himself down on the ledge. Emma grasped his arm, "How do I know you won't take off and leave me behind?"

"Try something new, darling, its called trust," he looked up at her with a smirk before pushing off from the ledge. He fell a good distance before he landed, rolling just the right way. He crouched there for a moment before straightening and flexing his legs to make sure nothing was sprained. Once he was sure, he wasn't hurt he turned back to her. "Toss the bags down," he called up quietly. Emma stared at the bags before grumbling. Surely, she was going to regret this. She pulled the bag off her shoulder and let it fall to him. He caught it and placed it to the side; he caught the next one and then stared up at her. "Your turn, lass."

Trust was one thing, but she still didn't want to jump from that distance. She wished they could've found a different exit to take. One that involved a door perhaps? She grumbled about this for a moment, and then sighed. Her mother had gone through worse to escape the Evil Queen, the least she could do was jump down just shy of twenty feet.

"You bloody woman!" a familiar voice growled. Emma twisted to see the man she had knocked out near the cell. "I don't care if we're being paid to keep ya alive, yer dead."

He drew his sword and Emma looked towards Hook, he waved impatiently, a look of concern on his face. "I'm not dying today," Emma retorted sharply, "But once Regina figures out you've failed. I'm sure your fate will be worse than mine was in that cell."

She turned and launched herself out the crumbled portion of the wall. The mercenary cursed loudly as her eyes focused on where she was going. She saw Hooks mouth form an oath before reaching up to catch her, both of them had a split second fear when his hook glinted in the moon light but they didn't have time to change the way they were. Her eyes clamped shut and she felt herself collide heavily with him, then he let out an oath again as they fell to the ground.

Emma threw herself from Hook's body and looked up at the mercenary. Nothing but anger and hate in the man's eyes. Emma gathered the bags and shoved one towards Hook, he took it and started for the forest at a none to slow pace. The princess hurried after him, not bothering to toss another look over her shoulder at the mercenaries' hideout. There was no more need for her to worry about them. At least, soon she wouldn't need to. They had to get far enough into the forest that they could easily hide themselves and their tracks.

However, Emma lasted for only an hour trek before her legs gave out and she collapsed.

-ღ-

It wasn't until later the next day when Emma's eyes finally flickered open. Her head was above a cloak and a blanket of furs was draped over her body. There was a bit of scuffling before Hook leaned over her and helped her sit up. "Careful, lass, you hit your head."

She winced, the cut on her head throbbed at each movement. He lifted a canteen to her lips and made her drink the entire bottle. Then he set out some of the food they managed to steal from the mercenary camp. He didn't leave her alone until then. She touched the cut gently with her fingers before grumbling. He pointed off into the forest, handing her a rag, "There is a river a minute or so that way."

It took her a moment to understand what he was telling her to do. After a moment, she nodded and took the rag from him and got to her feet. She swayed, and he placed a hand on her hip to steady her. She grasped his arm to wait out her dizzy spell. The moment she realized their position, she pulled away and made a beeline towards the river.

The noise of the river slowly drowned the thought of how intimate that moment had been. He had had his hand on her _hip_. She bent down, gathered some water in her hands, and rinsed the filth from them. The dusty grey and brown faded, and was replaced with the milky colour of her actual skin tone. She smiled, it had been so long since she saw her true skin colour. She spent a good hour scrubbing her face, hair and any other visible piece of skin. If they came across a lake or arrived at an inn, she would be able to clean the rest of the filth off.

A smile stretched over her face, she felt so light without all that filth. It was so nice. She could see the flush of her skin and could rub her hands together without feeling the grit of dirt between her flesh. Her pampered lifestyle was something she swore she would never complain about again whether she even got back to that life any time soon. She wringed out her hair before heading back to the camp, following the path she had come in on.

Hook was rummaging through the bag and didn't see her. "I have no idea how close the nearest town is," he admitted as he pulled out a map of the world and laid it down. She ran her fingers through her hair and made an agreeing noise. "Those ruins aren't familiar to me, but I assume that since they are ruins of a castle, we are in a part of the world with no one ruling over it. Which leaves us with three options," he pointed to three different areas on the map. "If we're in this one, then I am pretty screwed but you're well off."

She examined the map over his shoulder. The one he was currently pointing at was the furthest from any portion of water. "There's a river, fairly big one," she murmured and pointed to the two other ones, "They have rivers crossing through them that one doesn't."

"Thank god," he muttered under his breath, he glanced at her, "For me at least," he smirked, but it slowly faded into a curious look. He was looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. She didn't have any blood, dust or sweat clinging to her face or hair. Before he thought her hair was just a very light brown, but in fact, it was a rather attractive blonde. Her eyebrow quirked up.

"We'll have to wander in a direction until we find a road or a town," Emma suggested. Hook nodded in agreement immediately turning his attention back to the map.

"Of course," he started to fold the map up, "We'll have to wait for you to regain your strength."

"I'm strong-"

"Lass, I wasn't doubting your strength. I am stating a fact. You haven't eaten properly in what you assume is a year. I don't want to have to carry you because you keep fainting," he quipped tucking the map back into his bag. She shot him a look.

"One night, and then I'm leaving with or without you."

"Alright, Swan."

Her eyes fluttered in confusion before her brow furrowed. "Swan?"

"Since swans start off as such ugly ducklings and blossom into a graceful beautiful creature. It would be fitting for you," he winked at her, the corner of his mouth slowly lifting. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"It's better than 'lass' and 'love'," she mimicked his accent. "I don't know why you want me to have a name so badly. We're only travelling to the next town together."

Hook leaned against the log behind him and pulled his flask out. "You could join my crew," he suggested, "You'd make one hell of a pirate." Her eyes connected with his. He chuckled at her exasperated, and quite doubtful, look. "I'm serious, Swan. You seem to know a lot about survival, put you on the Jolly Roger and you'll fit right in."

"I'll...I'll think about it...the Jolly Roger, is that your ship?" Emma asked, attempting to divert the conversation away from herself. He caught onto her wish to change the conversation easily and described his ship to her, and when that was done, he went onto talking about how it felt just to be on the ocean. How free it felt.

She couldn't help but feel jealous of him. Sure, she wasn't going to skip off to join pirates any time soon. Especially since, she had a duty as a princess and to her kingdom. However, just the way he described it to her, it was as if anyone could've described the sea, but only he would've made it sound so...breathtakingly amazing. She couldn't even count one thing she could describe with as much detail as he could his ship and the seas. If she tried, hell, she would sound like an illiterate toddler trying to. What she knew of the sea was it was blue, vast and dangerous. He made it sound as if the sea had all the colours of blue you could possibly imagine, it was vast and endless, stretching out the very edges of the earth. The dangers of the sea to him were as if he had gotten a paper cut, storming seas or angry mermaids were easy for him to handle. He had done it for such a long time.

She hadn't even noticed his voice had lulled her to sleep until she woke up the next morning. Not that she would ever admit it, but she had the best night's sleep imaginable. Whether it was because she had used his cloak as a pillow, or his voice had caused her to fall asleep, or maybe she was just so exhausted and being able to lie down for the first time in a year as soothing on her body. Emma felt as if she could conquer the world, which was apparently opposite of Hook, who seemed groggy and unaware of simple things when he awoke to her packing her things up.

"Ready?" he asked her, "You don't want to stay another day?"

"You need to get back to your ship, and I...I need to return to my home," she nodded towards him, "The faster we get back, the faster we can move on with our lives."

"As long as you don't slow us down," he gave her a smirk that told her he bared her no ill will and was attempting to keep things light, before waving towards the forest. "After you, milady."

Another eye roll and she strode off into the forest. Content on getting on with her life, the thoughts from the previous night evaporated from her mind. Who cares if he can weave words like poetry? He still wasn't what she'd call a gentleman. What kind of gentleman took up the past time of a pirate? There were far greater and nobler things to become, and those men she would gladly accept as a gentleman. When she thought pirate, she saw men drinking and ravaging married women in bars. Something that she could never akin to a gentleman.

The deeper they moved into the forest, the more Emma was seriously questioning her judgements. Hook would hold branches out of her way, help her over fallen trees and help her climb up rocks and other debris. He would always make sure she was keeping up and not straying too far. Giving her water at timely moments and making sure, they rested properly throughout the day.

He was more of a gentleman than most lords she knew. It was unfair that such a brute could redefine her entire life viewpoint in under a couple hours. She had to shake her head physically to clear such notions from her mind. No. He wasn't doing that. He was one man out of thousands of pirates. That didn't make him the new standpoint for pirates. In addition, what wasn't to say he was doing all of this for personal gain? She was essentially free labour. Caring supplies for him. Get to the town, and she might just find herself stranded with no money, supplies, or friends. That was her worst fear at the present moment. Being abandoned by this man, just as a man had done so many years ago. Back when she was not yet considered a woman.

Just the thought thrust anger into her steps, making them longer and heavier strides. Enough for her companion to take notice, but not to comment on. He knew better than to comment on an irritated woman's state. If she wished to converse with him, then he would talk with her. However, just by the look on her face, he knew that he would be more likely pushed down the hill they were climbing than have a proper conversation. She was glad he didn't say anything, and they kept on in a long pregnant silence.

He decided after a while that her anger had worn off enough to talk to her.

"Lass," he called catching her attention as he reached down to pull her up the three-foot lift off the ground "You are somewhat of an open book to me."

"Oh really?" Emma retorted, clasping his wrist and letting him help her up. Hook nodded with an intense stare. His blue eyes flickering as he studied her face, stepping closer to make the moment more intimate and private. She pressed her lips together tightly, but didn't step away.

"You're afraid of something right now," his tone dropped to a near whisper, fingers still on her wrist. "It's not me, otherwise you wouldn't have accepted my hand. So, what exactly are you afraid of, Swan?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," she replied in the same tone and pulled her hand away from him, followed by brushing past him. "I'm not afraid of anything."

That was the biggest lie of the century. There was plenty of things she was terrified of. Losing her family. People abandoning her. Those were big things, things she couldn't admit to. There were plenty of tiny irrational fears she had as well, those she wouldn't admit to because she was embarrassed she had them. Hook walked after her.

"We're nearing a town, and you haven't said a word about splitting up yet," he explained lightly. She hesitated and looked over her shoulder, a frown set on her face. "We're standing on a well used road," he gave the ground a brief glance, a pointed look sent to her. "I think we're beginning to get along," he smirked, his eyebrow raising. Emma rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't mean we're close to a town," she grumbled, "besides I have more important things to worry about than getting rid of you."

"You wound me," he chuckled, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, "I know that we're close to a town because regardless it will lead to some sort of town or port."

"Well, we're lucky, aren't we?" she replied, adjusting the cloak about her shoulders. "Either way there is a chance we could be walking for longer than we should."

"Either way, love, we'll get to a town. As long as we do so before we run out of supplies, we'll survive this."

Emma wanted to ask him why he was so sure, but she couldn't force the words out of her mouth. Her parents had been very certain about optimism and how the greatest things could happen if you just believed they could. Of course, Emma hadn't gotten her parents beautiful optimism. She had a very different experience so far in her life than her parents had ever had, sure she was a princess. However, that offered limitations, including being able to find someone she truly loved. She believed in True Love, but just knew she would _never_ get it herself.

Instead of replying to him, she nodded and glanced up and down the road. Either way, to her at least, looked like it could stretch out for miles, but one way was probably closer to a town or port than the other. They just had to hope the way they choose to walk was the way they had to go.

Their trek continued on for a few days after they figured out which direction they decided would be best. He still kept up his normal attitude, making light of things and making sure she wasn't about to drop from dehydration. Emma didn't delude herself, he was use to having a crew. People who had to rely on him, and as he described before, he cared about his crew. They were his family, and he wouldn't let his family drop dead from dehydration. Currently she was his only 'crew', and even that was pushing it in her mind. She was someone who was tagging along with him until one of them decided they stayed together for too long and it was time to split.


	4. Fare Thee Well

They arrived at a small town and Hook instantly perked up, inhaling deeply. "We're near the ocean," he announced.

She inhaled, testing the scent. Yes, she could smell the salt in the air and feel the thickness of the air. They were very close to an ocean. That meant they were at a port, and they were indeed farther away from her kingdom then she would like to be. Unfortunately, she couldn't decide to just appear in the kingdom that was closer to her own kingdom. Not that this area was a kingdom, there was no rulers. From what she remembered from her parents, these areas were only settled by a few port towns and cities. There were of course many bandits and other lawbreakers. Apparently, there was a group within the world that actually stole from the poor and gave to the rich, whom her parents may or may not know.

Hook was the one to spot the inn first and ushered her inside. It was very warm and expensive looking. Better than most inns she was sure were closer to the port. A woman stood behind the counter, counting out some coins and recording them on a large book. Hook strode up, smiling warmly at the woman. When she finally glanced up after tallying another handful of coins, she looked surprised. "Oh! Captain!" she returned the smile, "It's been so long since you've docked here!"

"Actually, I travelled by foot. It's a bloody pain," he smirked at Emma, "but the company has proven to be quiet...enjoyable."

The woman laughed and shook her head, "You'll be wanting a room then?"

"Two," he insisted, pulling out one of the coin purses and counting out the coins before handing her the entire bag. "For as long as we need them?"

"Of course, we don't get many visitors this close to the forest. Do you want forest or ocean view?" the woman asked, turning around and examining the row of keys behind her, a large map spread out beside it. She could see how far they were away from her kingdom and looked at it wistfully. "Who am I kidding, ocean view, right?" the woman chuckled to herself before turning around and placing the large brass keys on the counter in front of her. "The same room you've always purchased, do you need me to show you the way?"

"We're fine, thank you," he offered another smile, "Say hello to your husband for me."

If it wasn't stolen money from mercenaries, she would've made a comment on not wanting to have someone else's money spent on her when she had enough to pay for this entire town. Hook pocketed the keys, earning a curious stare from his companion. All she wanted to do was go and collapse on the bed; she didn't care if it was in an inn. As long as it was an actual bed and not the floor, rocks, or dirt. Hook, however, had different plans. He headed towards the door again and went straight into the throng of people walking up and down the street. Emma hurried after him, mainly because he had the key and secondly because she didn't want to be alone quite yet.

"I need some rum," he announced, pulling her towards the harbour, explaining that those were the best pubs to go to. Very lively.

"Full of thieves and pirates, why wouldn't it be fun," Emma muttered sarcastically as he opened the door. The pub's noise faded once he stepped inside, all eyes swivelled to meet his. "So welcoming," she whispered under her breath. Hook nudged her with his elbow, grinning. There was a good-hearted cheer.

"Hook!" someone raised a beer mug towards him, "Long time no see!"

Many other people joined in on the cheers and soon people were surrounding him, clapping him on the shoulder and pulling him further into the pub. Emma managed to separate herself from the mass and sat herself down at the back of the pub were the throng was thinner. So, the fierceness Killian Jones - sorry, _Captain_ Hook - was a friendly and cheerful man. It was odd how different he seemed with a cup full of rum, a table full of pirates, and a woman draping herself over his shoulder. Emma rolled her eyes. Men. She didn't understand the theatrics and the rambunctious laughter that probably disturbed anyone walking past the pub.

Someone sat down beside her, passing her a mug. "You came in with the Captain," the woman stated holding up her mug to her lips. Emma just nodded, murmuring thanks for the beverage and staring into the foamy top. "He's boasting about an encampment of mercenaries you two took down singlehandedly, is it true?"

"We didn't kill everyone there, if that's what you're asking," Emma replied easily, pretending to take a sip of the liquid. She didn't trust this woman, nor was she about to drink alcohol. Her parents weren't ones to drink, and Emma picked up on that lifestyle choice. Only drinking wine or champagne during balls or parties.

"That's still impressive. That mercenary encampment has been messing with this port for a good handful of years. With only the guards that the kingdom that owns this port has sent, we haven't been able to strive them off. So, thank you, from the entire port," the woman smiled warmly at her. Emma couldn't find it within herself to smile so naturally and warmly in return, but still managed to lift the corner of her mouth in return. This woman had another motive, Emma could see it in the way her mouth was slightly open, ready to say something else.

"Are you and the Captain close?" the woman asked her quietly, sipping whatever alcoholic beverage, she had gotten. Emma frowned, slightly surprised by that question. She was more expecting the woman to ask her about herself. Not about the man whom she thought, while slightly proper, was thoroughly annoying in his persistence to keep talking. The woman took her silence as a yes and smiled, but it was tighter than the one before. "You're so lucky; going on adventures is my dream. I tried to join his crew years ago when he was in the port, but he wouldn't take me."

Emma examined her. She was pretty, thick wavy brown hair and creamy skin. She wore expensive clothes for a peasant. Emma shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe he couldn't take anyone else on? You could try again," she shrugged her shoulder, "I don't think he has anything about woman being on his ship."

The woman stood up, nodding her head. "Alright, thanks…" the woman trailed off, frowning waiting for Emma to give her name.

"Swan," she smiled, "You?"

"Milah."

-ღ-

"Captain," a familiar voice piped up as a woman slid onto the chair in front of him. "Long time no see."

His blue eyes took in her face. He nodded at her, "Milah."

"I see you've moved on from me already," the woman stated, leaning against the table. Anger slowly burning beneath the surface of her grey eyes. He studied her for a moment before taking a drink of the rum.

"I thought you lived in a southern Kingdom?" he asked, dodging the question, "What brings you up here?"

"I think you can piece together why I'm here, _Killian_," she lowered her voice. Hook studied her for a moment or two more before waving his hook towards those who surrounded the table. He gave them a smirk.

"I'd like to speak to the lady alone," he more than ordered. Everyone cleared out quickly. Knowing the faster he spoke to the woman the faster he could regale them with stories about far off places and daring sword fights. Hook idly tapped his fingers against the wooden table. "I invited you along, Milah. You know my saying; a man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets. Rumpelstiltskin fought for you, and whatever happened afterwards is not my fault."

Milah stared at him incredulously before reaching across the table and touching his arm, "I know it's not your fault. I'm not blaming you."

"Then why are we still discussing this?" his voice had a sharper tone to it than he meant to have. "Your _husband_ must want you home by now. What about your _son_?"

She visibly bristled. "He abandoned me here after he became the Dark One, and because of that sent my son to another world."

Hook met her gaze, "I'm sorry," he replied honestly. Her eyes flickered over his face before the wandered back to see...Swan, was it? Looking about the pub, not paying attention to the two of them in the slightest. He followed her long-suffering gaze and saw the subject of her interest. Was that who Milah thought he had 'replaced' her with? Hook's eyebrow raised and he turned towards Milah. "Don't worry, lass," he gave her a wink, "Swan isn't interested in a pirate."

He lifted his mug and touched the side of it to hers before downing it. He had something to ask Swan anyways, he tossed a few coins onto the table for the barkeep before striding to the door. He merely glanced back at Swan before exiting the pub. Hoping she would understand his meaning. However, a moment later Milah exited the pub. "I want to join your crew."

"Again?" he questioned, incredulously. "Are you sure, lass?"

"Yes."

He pressed his lips together, "The Jolly Roger isn't docked here, so there is no crew to join."

She opened her mouth too say something when Emma walked out. She looked between the two of them before her eyebrow rose slightly. "Ah, Hook, can I have the room key?" she asked quietly. Hook hesitated before digging into his coat pocket and fishing out one of the keys he gave it to her. She thanked him before giving Milah a slightly awkward smile, part apology and part good manners before turning and striding up the street. Milah crossed her arms.

"For a woman who isn't interested in a pirate, it shocks me to learn you are sharing a bed," Milah commented, before shaking her head. "I haven't been spending the last five years doing nothing, Killian. I know how to handle myself. If you're still interested in an extra pair of hands, you know where to find me."

With that, the woman who in one life would've become his first love strode back into the pub. He turned and wandered up the road, not thinking twice about the woman's proposal. He didn't need any more hands on his crew, and the only extra pair of hands he'd consider would be Swan's. At least he knew she could handle herself in a fight, and putting up with torture and being a prisoner for a year and still being able to have wit and good humor in her was always a good sign. Milah seemed to have changed since he last saw her, and he didn't think it was for the better.

-ღ-

"I don't think I trust you enough," Emma spoke the moment Hook entered her room, he paused frowning towards her.

"Trust me enough about what?"

She released a sigh. Of course, he wouldn't know what she was talking about. Therefore, she shut the door and turned towards him. "You asked me to join your crew yesterday, whether you were actually being serious or not. I don't trust you enough."

He seemed a bit stunned but then the corner of his mouth rose, "Aye, lass, I was being serious," it was his turn to sigh and started speaking before she could say anything, "If you can't trust your captain, then you won't be able to make it very far on a pirate ship. Or any other sort of sea vessel for that matter under a captain you don't trust."

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, they both froze at that. Why was she apologizing? It wasn't as if he would be horribly crushed by her rejection of the position. She honestly didn't understand why she said that, and the awkward silence stretched on, but not for long. Hook just smiled.

"No need for apologizes, love," he winked at her, "you can't help the way you feel."

She released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Deciding to shift the subject away from her, she crossed her arms and leaned away slightly. "How are you going to get to your ship?"

"Why? Wanting my companionship for a bit longer, Swan?"

"Hardly."

He rubbed his stubble and smiled, "The Jolly Roger is made out of Enchanted Wood. It goes where I tell it, comes to where I am. Regardless of whether or not there is any crew on board."

"Sounds like a marvel," she said, her eyebrow rising in disbelief, "Why have a crew if you can Captain it without one?"

"Companionship, being a pirate gets pretty lonely if you don't have friends, love."

Hook woke up; his head was a bit foggy from the previous night. He rubbed his stubble and groaned. Things got a bit messy last night. After Swan had kicked him out of her room, he had gone back to the pub, and had quite a few more drinks. He pulled himself into a sitting position and let out a thankful sigh. He was alone. It was always awkward when he brought someone back to his room, harder to sneak out that way. He looked about the room and then stood up. Time to talk to Swan about how to split up the supplies, unless she wanted to stay until his crew got there.

After he dressed, he found himself in front of her door. He lifted his knuckles and rapped against the door. No answer. He tried again, and it was still the same. He frowned and knocked a bit harder. When she didn't answer he sighed, she was probably still asleep. This was probably the first time she had a bed in a year and he didn't even know what situation her life had been in before she had been kidnapped.

He decided to figure out where he was, and then calculate how long his ship would take to get to this port. The couple looked up when he entered the main room. The woman smiled, "Will you be leaving as well, dear?"

Hook froze. "What?"

"Your friend left this morning before the sun even broke. We directed her towards a carriage that left to the next kingdom," the man explained, waving the map behind the desk. "She's lucky she caught it, otherwise she'll have to have waited two months before the next carriage arrived."

Hook didn't know why he cared that she was gone, but he did. He gritted his teeth and examined the map. "Thank you for notifying me. I'd like to keep the room for a week."

The couple shared a look, "Of course."

To say that Hook forgot about Emma was far from the truth. He saw at least one thing in his very inn room that made him think about her. Let alone every time he saw blonde hair his mind went straight to her, wondering if she was okay. He downed his rum fast enough that his throat burned as if the devil himself had scratched at his throat with long talons. He shook his head.

The door opened and he looked over. A familiar red cap brought him out of his tipsy state. "Smee!"


	5. The Ends of the Earth

**A/N: **IAmTheHero: I reconsidered that part of the chapter, and realized, yeah. It is a werid place to cut off. There is so much there that wasn't explained, so I have inserted an extra scene that originally wasn't going to be in this chapter to clear everything up! It's a flashback scene, which so far this story only has one other one (a backstory chapter) later on.

* * *

Emma climbed off the carriage, arriving at a port that bordered the nearby kingdom. She paid the driver coin before turning to face the port. There was a lot going on, busier than the last port she had been too. First thing was first; she had to get a room. She brushed past a drunken sailor, fingers deftly catching his coin purse and hiding it beneath her cloak. No one even acknowledged the theft, regardless of whether they saw it or not.

There had been many stops along the way, all ports or camping for the night. She had quickly figured out that she needed to continue to steal to survive. Without anything for archery, she couldn't hunt any animals. Therefore, she had to pay for her food, and that was hard to do when the only wealth she had was the fast dwindling coin purse she had made sure to split with Hook before she took off that morning.

Her mother had taught her how to be inconspicuous and move through a crowd without anyone even remembering you were there. Applying that to stealing people's coin was easy but it still took practice. She managed to steal from people who were either too drunk to notice, or alternatively, too confident that they wouldn't be stolen from. People who made sure their coin purse was there ever minute or so she avoided, anyone who took much notice of whether they had their coin purse still were off her list.

She weighed the coin purse in her hand before tucking it into her bag. It had to have quite a few coins, enough for a bed and maybe a drink at the local pub. Another place where stealing coins was very easy, but if she was caught...that was when it got dangerous. Pubs were mostly filled with mercenaries, sailors, pirates, and everyone else willing to press a dagger to your throat if you disobeyed them.

First, however, she wanted to procure a place to stay. After searching for a good while, she found one. It wasn't too dirty looking and after she purchased a room, she found it much to her liking. The sheets were fresh, which was always a bonus. She stretched her arms over her head before laying down. Relishing in the feeling of soft bedding instead of wood.

Her room nearly isolated her from everything, allowing her the first time in a couple days journey to think. She thought back to the last time she saw Hook. That annoying bugger. She stared up at the wooden roof and sighed softly. They hadn't fought, but...they hadn't exactly separated on excellent terms.

"_Companionship," Emma repeated, earning a nod from Hook. "Don't you get enough companionship when you go to pubs?"_

_He didn't look at all offended by her implication, he shrugged a shoulder. "A night in bed does not solve a man's wishes for a decent conversation. If a woman is on her back with me, the only things she is saying is my name. Well," he lifted his hook and waved it around, "At least saying my moniker."_

"_With that note, you should leave," Emma waved towards the door, turning away._

"_Oh, and here I thought we were getting along," he said, an almost happy sarcasm in his tone. "Why are you so quick to kick me out after I speak about my exploits with other women? Jealous, love?"_

_Emma snorted, "Hardly."_

"_Then why do you wish me to leave?"_

_Emma wanted to say because she felt uncomfortable talking to him about his sexual exploits because they were sexual. She wanted to tell him that she felt it was inappropriate for them to be discussing that. She wanted to tell him a lot of things, and it scared her that she wanted to be so...honest with this man. A man she had only known for a month, give or take._

_Well, if you're with someone through that sort of thing, you would grow close. Right?_

_Her heart threw up walls faster than she could blink. "Has it occurred to you that I don't want you around because your usefulness to me is done? We got out of there, you nursed me back to health, now we're here. I'll go back to my home, and forget all about you. So, leave."_

_His eyes hardened, "I don't believe that's true."_

"_It is, now, Hook. Get. Out. Of. My. Room."_

_He gave a mock bow, "Yes, your highness."_

_Even though the words were dripping with angry sarcasm, it made her heart freeze in fear. He didn't see that fear appear in her eyes, however, since he turned away and headed out of her room. Slamming the door in his wake._

Emma rubbed her eyes and grumbled. How could Hook get under her skin so easily? How was he able to understand her when sometimes she didn't fully understand what she was feeling. How was he able to say things that either were extremely comforting or threw her off balance? It was infuriating.

She shoved herself into a sitting position and stiffly got up. God. She need ale and she needed it _now_. It wasn't as if she had taken up drinking her problems away, but she just wanted to drown out the thoughts of that pirate.

-ღ-

Entering the closest pub, she strode to the back. Making sure that she didn't hide her face too much, the last time she did that...well...she got out of that pub quick enough. They thought she was wanted and would fetch a pretty price at the guard station. She learnt quickly enough that acting like everyone else would get her further than trying to hide herself in fear of being noticed.

Sometimes being in plain sight was easier than having to hide, and worked twice as well.

A woman plunked down a mug of ale in front of her, her brown curly hair falling down. She had a beautiful and warm smile, "What can I get for ya?"

"Just some soup of whatever you have," Emma murmured over the calamity of the pub. The woman nodded, and Emma handed two coins over and averted her gaze back to her mug as the woman sashayed off. She tasted the ale, and promptly decided that while it wasn't the best, she'd have to do. She needed to get some water into her stomach as well, but she wouldn't find that here. She'd have to go to the well before she went to bed that night.

The woman came back a few minutes later and plunked the bowl of soup in front of her, just as the door opened and a man swaggered in with a few others. There was a cheer all about. Emma didn't bother gracing whoever entered with a glance and started on her soup. It wasn't until she heard a familiar voice say, "A round for my mates!" that she nearly choked on her soup. She placed a hand over her chest, quieting her coughs and looked up.

_How the hell?!_

There stood the leather-clad pirate in all his glory. Looking nothing like the man, she had met in their mutual prisoner, but at the same time the same. His beard was shorter, hair still dishelmed, he had well tailored clothes on and mostly importantly, he looked dangerous. Nothing at all like the weak and bloody man, she had seen back at the prison before they had escaped.

Emma was glad that he hadn't noticed her; she focused her attention on eating and drinking as fast as she could. That man was nothing but bad news; she needed to get back to her kingdom as soon as possible. Even if that took the next twenty years, she would go back to her family.

However, luck wasn't on her side. Hook had sat down and was sharing a drink with the lads he sat with. He took a cautionary glance about the pub before doing a double take. He had seen her. Hook clapped his red-capped friend on the shoulder before excusing himself and heading over. Some of the sailors around wolf whistled and sent up a laugh about them. Hook just turned around, sending them a smirk before sitting down beside Emma. He leaned in close.

"Nice to see you again, Swan," his breath smelt like alcohol, but it was clear he wasn't drunk. Emma pressed her lips together to bit back telling him to move away. Actually, she hesitated. She didn't _need _to be polite to him. Here she wasn't a princess. Here she was a thief. That was a big change.

"Maybe you should go back to your friends," Emma's eyes flickered up to his, "Decide that I wasn't worth your time. Or else you're buddies will think that you were rejected."

"I just wanted to speak with you, I mean, it is fate that we met again isn't it?" Hook took a lock of her hair and spun it between his fingers before brushing it behind her ear. "I'm still interested in why you were there. What does the Enchantress want with you?" he asked quietly, eyebrow rising in curiosity. Emma just gave him a sarcastic smile.

"I don't know."

"I think you do, lass," he murmured, leaning closer so she could feel his breath across her mouth, "I don't think you want to find out how pirates get what they want."

"Attempting to seduce me will get you nowhere," she whispered back, a forced smile stretching over her lips.

"Oh?" his eyebrow rose, "Who says I'm attempting? I haven't even started."

She rolled her eyes at this and pulled back, mentally telling herself she was just not playing his little game, but the feeling of his breath on her lips was something far too intimate for her. She was throwing her walls up, feigning disinterest instead. God, she still felt as if he was right close to her face. Lifting up the mug, she took a large gulp of it, pulling a light chuckle from Hook.

"Aye, lass, some rum would be nice," he waved over one of the wenches and got himself some rum. He touched their glasses together. "Didn't know you drank."

"Guess you're driving me to drink," she replied sarcastically. "I use to be such an angel, but then I met you."

"Tell me about this angelic Swan," he grinned, leaning closer, "because I can think of a few more things that can make you more...sinful," he gave her a slow once over before winking. Emma felt bothered by his examination, but whether that was because she was a princess and wasn't used to people examining her so boldly, or whether she just didn't know why _he_ bothered her so much when he did it.

"No."

"Why not?" he asked, "Your past can't harm you now, considering it's the present."

Emma stared at him, "I told you I don't trust you. I haven't even told you my name, yet you want my back story?"

"Aye, but a back story means nothing when I can't place it to a name," he did have a point there. She could tell him about any sort of life, and he couldn't use it against her if he didn't know her name. She would just be a nameless woman whom he could tell a story about. He was the one who gave her the nickname as well, only a few people knew to call her that. Therefore, it couldn't be all that bad.

"Fine," she grumbled, looking at her empty mug of ale. Hook waved to her mug and a woman quickly and smoothly replaced it with more. Emma's eyebrow rose but she didn't say anything, something told her that he knew she'd need some sort of alcohol in her body to be able to tell him anything about her. She smoothed her finger over the handle of the mug before drawing it closer to her body. A lie was going to be told.

"How much of my past do you want to hear?" she questioned, wanting to know exactly how much a lie she had to weave. He was silent.

"What your life was like before that, and how you came to be kidnapped."

Emma grumbled, downing some more ale. She supposed she did owe him for taking care of her after she had fainted in the forest. He could've left her there to die. "My father was a farmer, he met my mother who was a bandit at the time against the Evil Queen, and they fell in love. They had me, years went by and I met a man who went by the name of Neal. He and I would sneak off and create havoc at a nearby village, and he taught me a lot of things about survival. He stole something of the Queen's and left me. I was caught with the item in my possession and spent the last couple of years running for my life. I was out in the forest when I was taken by surprise and woke up in the cell, I can't remember much of what happened," she shrugged a shoulder. Most of it was a complete lie; some of it was intricately woven truths. Her father had been a simple farmer, and her mother was a bandit. However, they met after her father was prince. She did meet and fall in love with a man named Neal, however, after sneaking out one night, her father figured out and spoke to Neal. Emma had heard the entire conversation and thought her father was being fair.

It didn't stop Neal from never speaking to her again. Not wanting to mess about with the royal affairs, or to settle down with a young princess.

She wasn't aware of some of the major plot holes in her story. For one, the Evil Queen would've been vanquished before she was born. In addition, she didn't seem to look or act like someone who had been running for their life. However, Hook didn't seem to even notice that. He just examined her intensely. Making her uncomfortable, raising the mug to her lips again. There is disbelief in his eyes, so his next words startle her.

"If you're still running from the Queen, the safest place to run from her is with pirates," he suggested. Pressing her to join his crew again. She didn't know why he wanted her to join so badly. Being on a ship was one thing, but living on it for months at a time, with a bunch of men was an entirely other thing. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.

"Are you asking me to join your crew, or to warm your bed?" she nearly snarled. He looked faintly surprised, but smiled.

"Swan, if you were to ever warm my bed, it would be of your own want," he winked and licked his teeth, he donned a serious expression. "I am asking you to join my crew. Be a pirate, and sail the seas as one of my mates."

Emma searched his eyes for any hint of a lie, but she couldn't find one. Her mouth pressed into a thin line, "My kingdom, or rather the one I live in, is a distance away. If you're heading that way, I will join you."

A smile broke out on his face. "Brilliant, now to kick one of those sorry sods off my bloody ship," he glanced over his shoulder. Emma glared at him, "I'm teasing, love. There is room for you, otherwise I wouldn't have asked."

She released a thankful breath. She didn't need an angry pirate after her for replacing him on the crew.

It was in that moment she realized that she actually had little to no knowledge about being part of a crew on a ship. There had been periods in her life when she had been on a ship, but not when she was literally one of the crew. She felt her neck get hot, and she rubbed her face. "Actually, Hook, I might have to back away. I've never been on a ship. I don't know the first thing about-"

He chuckled, interrupting her, "Do you think half of my crew knew what they were doing when they first got on the Jolly Roger? A pirate's life isn't always rewarding, and it isn't always as glamorous as you would think. Smee, my first mate, hell, he was a bloody smuggler who knew nothing about sailing until I recruited him."

"Recruited," she parroted, not liking the way he said that. Hook winked at her.

"A pirate's life isn't always by choice."

She didn't like the way that sounded either, and made her stomach churn at the thought of some of the men on his ship not wanting to be there. Would there be a mutiny? God, she hoped not. More importantly, she was nervous what 'recruiting' entailed. It didn't sound like he went house-to-house looking for able-bodied men who wished to fight in a war, but went port to port dragging half-drunk men onto his ship when he lost a crewmember or two.

It was only going to be a few months that she would stay on his ship, after that? She wouldn't have to worry about the pirate any longer. He would be out of her hair for good.

"We leave port tomorrow morning at dawn," he placed a few coins on the table, "I'll be waiting at the dock, Swan," he smirked at her before turning and heading back to his rowdy friends. Emma chewed her lip in thought. She had little under twelve hours to decide whether she wanted to live up to her acceptance or not. She plopped a few more coins down before leaving. As she walked past Killian, his eyes followed hers, a look of smolder in his eyes. It enticed an eye roll from her and she walked out of the pub. Welcoming the cooling air with her entire being. It was excessively hot in that pub.

Whether that was because of the leather clad pirate or not, she didn't want to even think about that as she walked up and down the streets aimlessly, procuring a few more coin purses before finding her inn and heading up to the room. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was out. No time for her to think about whether or not she was going with them. The most she had done to think about it was asking the woman at the front desk if it was possible for her to be woken up before dawn.


	6. The High Seas

Standing at the docks she took a deep breath. She couldn't _believe_ she was doing this. Putting her trust in a man, a pirate nonetheless. She should back away and go back to the pub from last night, drown her sorrows and then come up with another plan that didn't involve trusting someone else. Everything was screaming and clawing at her to turn around and walk the other way, something opposite of what her parents had instilled into her. She was supposed to be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming for god's sake! She couldn't be afraid of a pirate when both of her parents faced so much worse. Sirens, back stabbing royals, magic, ogres, even a war!

Yet, Emma didn't know if she was afraid of Hook as a person, or just the fact that she was putting her complete and utter trust and faith into this man, who could have ulterior motives. His eyes didn't have any lies in them when he had spoken to her the previous day, but he could probably lay his way into the bedchamber of a queen. Emma rubbed her face and rocked on the balls of her feet idly. She couldn't even distinguish which ship _could_ be his. There, that settles it; she decided that if she couldn't figure out the ship she would turn around and leave.

Quite honestly, Emma was looking for a big flashy ship with a bunch of drunken men swaying about on board. Yet, they all looked the same to her, big boats made out of wood and some fabric for sails. She nodded and turned on her heel. No point standing around trying to figure out which ship is which most would leave during dawn anyways.

However, luck must've been against her or for her depending on who was viewing the situation, as she bumped straight into a man. She backed up in surprise and met Hook's blue eyes; they held amusement as his fingers shifted on the hilt of his sword, drumming his fingers lightly over the leather.

"Hook," the name slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. "You never told me which ship was yours," she quipped, hoping that he wouldn't be able to tell that she was thinking about chickening out. The amusement didn't fade and she knew that she had been caught.

"I'm surprised you would think I would leave my ship docked over night near royal guards," his eyebrow rose, "My ship is technically stolen property of the crown."

"Why am I not surprised," she bit back before placing her hands on her hips, "Well, _Captain_, lead the way to your Jolly Roger."

A slow grin broke out on his face, he leaned closer, "Are you talking about my ship or about another asset?"

Emma felt her neck and ears getting hot, she hadn't even thought of that. She stood her ground however, rolling her eyes, "The ship."

"Shame," his words didn't match his grin or tone however. He sounded like he knew a secret, and it took all Emma had to resist rolling her eyes again. "We'll have to cut through some of the forest," he explained going all business again. Emma wondered what was keeping the ship docked away from the port; couldn't his crew decide to just leave? She didn't voice her opinion, knowing that there was no point in saying anything. If they got there and the ship was there, well then she would have to re-evaluate her knowledge on the loyalties of pirates.

-ღ-

Emma stepped upon dock, amazed at the cleanliness that the ship was kept at. It was completely opposite of what she thought it was going to be. Her mind had pictured drunken sailors, a fine layer of grim, ropes and crates tossed haphazardly around the entire deck. Waiting for some sort of disaster to strike and cause everything to become that much worse. However, it was very different. The deck was scrubbed clean; any ropes that were on the deck were secured and neatly placed out of the way. The mast stretched up like a hand towards the sky, brushing against the heavens and looking as if it could take them out of the water and into the air at any given moment.

There were sailors standing on the deck waiting for their captain to address them. Hook smiled at them all as he stepped up beside her. "I'm impressed, lads, she's better than how I left her," he ran a hand over to the rail fondly. "There's going to be bumpy seas ahead," he announced jumping up to the helm. "All hands on deck, prepare for departure!" he ordered, and the sailors jumped off immediately to do as the captain asked.

She still couldn't believe how clean it was. Sure, Hook wasn't a dirty, gross, unkempt man who drank twenty-four seven, but she didn't know what to expect when she got on a pirate ship. It was as well organized as a ship from the royal fleet. In fact, Emma could see from the way he stood that he had been on the seas far longer than she had been told. He had been a pirate for nearly five years by now, and he looked as if he spent his entire life on the sea.

"Lass," Hook called, waving towards her, "Come up to the helm."

It was then she noticed that she hadn't stepped away from the edge of the ship where she had entered. Emma nodded her head, fighting the awkward feeling that rolled up her back and headed towards him. He steadied her as the ship rocked. "Keep your balance, lass, otherwise you'll never survive the worst of the sea. As beautiful as she is, she is also as deadly as a blade pressed to your neck," he winked at her. "Much like you."

Emma just gave him a look and then turned her attention back to the crew. They weren't as bad as everyone always made them out to be. Not just pirates, but also the dreaded pirates who lived upon the Jolly Roger captained by the fearsome Captain Hook. So far, everything she had ever been told about pirates by Navy Captains or sailors was wrong. She didn't have any delusions about these men being completely angelic, men who just loved the sea. She knew that the tales about being boarded and lives taken and ships burnt were true. However, she didn't see any drunken pirates with a taste for blood.

After the pirates managed the ship onto the open waters and well away from any ports or ships, Hook seemed to relax. Orders were called out less often and his eyes were lazily scanning the ocean as well as his crew every so often. When his eyes lingered on her, she turned to look at him. "How much do you know about sailing?"

Emma processed his words slower than probably necessary, "I've never been on a ship..." Well, she had been, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Travel by ship was very expensive; to do so as a voyager instead of a crewmember was nearly impossible for a farmer to do.

"Good," he nodded to himself, "Then we won't have to re-teach you anything." He waved over a younger man and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "This is Peg, came aboard me ship round a year ago." Peg studied Emma quietly before glancing at Hook. "He volunteered to show you bout the ship and get you settled, you'll be working longside him till we reach your destination."

The two appraised each other silently before Peg nodded, "Aye, ma'am," he dipped his head and then smiled. Emma couldn't help but smile back. Peg guided her away from the helm and down to the crew's quarters. "Captain's been thinking bout expanding the crew's quarters," he explained as he ducked under a hammock, "but we don't need no more space," he walked to the end of the room and patted a bed that was low to the ground. "This'll be yer bunk, there's a cubby under the mattress that you can store yer things."

He showed her what he was talking about. He caught her apprehensive look, "Don't worry, if anyone steals anyt'ing from anyone, the Captain gets mighty mad. Makes them walk the plank if they do that."

Another look and the man chuckled, "He believes that pirates need ta live with a sort of code. Morals. No stealing, lying, or fighting on board his ship. On land is another sort of thing," Peg released the mattress, which landed with a thump, "I hope ya brought something more durable," Peg studied her for a moment, clearly changing the subject before she could ask him any questions, "Fur ain't the best thing to wear on the sea."

Well, Emma found out quickly that Peg had a nickname on the ship. 'Jabber Jaws'. The young boy could talk. It wasn't bad that he was talking, but he was telling her things about everyone on the ship she didn't care to know. He was teaching her how to tie some ropes when he pointed to a pirate and started to tell her about how he was brought onto the crew. The pirate walked over and ruffled his hair, plastering on a smile and leaning down to whisper 'If ya keep talking to pretty woman about tales that ya have no right telling, you'll be fed to the sharks.'

Overall, Peg was kind and never scolded her or got angry when she didn't get something right away. Sure, she got frustrated insanely easily by the ropes, but Peg just untied her mistake and forced her to try again. Not even pausing in his story. He would occasionally go off to help the others in changing the ships course or securing certain things so the sea wouldn't take them down, but he was a kind young man. Kind enough not to ask her one lick of information from herself.

She was grateful for that, after Hook's bombardment in attempt to figure her out. Whether that was just carefully placed questions, or round about ways of speaking, it was exhausting trying to keep up her persona, and that was just from the last couple of meetings they had. It occurred to her that it would take a few months to reach her kingdom, which mean a few months of keeping her persona up and keeping her princess side at bay. Easier said than done. How she was sitting, spoke, how she moved with grace indicated that she wasn't a mere farmer's daughter as she explained herself to be.

She knew she had to tread carefully on this deck.

Despite its pleasant appearance, she guessed there was a darker truth idling below. A past that they were all aware of and had no need to discuss perhaps, or maybe a current present that they were all living and had the same thoughts, so no one spoke of it. Either way, she felt comfortable on deck, but at the same time she was ready to have to defend herself in case anyone figured out that she was a princess, and not only that but she lied to the Captain.

She was aware of what could happen to this ship if her parents caught her on board it or if a Navy ship spotted the familiar colourings of the ship and saw it as the stolen ship from a realm. Every single pirate could be put to the block, or jailed and tortured. Depending on what kingdom the ship went to.

Deftly tying a sailors knot, Peg laughed. "That's it! You've got it; you'll be an expert sailor in no time!"

"She's got a long ways to go," a passerby commented, "Sure, she hasn't lost her lunch, or fallen due to the sway, but she hasn't proven her true merits as a sailor."

Peg scowled at the man, "Just what would that be?"

"She's been on board for barely a full day," the man scoffed, "She needs to prove she's a pirate before the crew accepts her."

"How's she gunna do that? There ain't no Brigs or Galleons yet," Peg bit out. "She's a pirate if she's part of this crew."

"A pirate who don't know anything about sailing. If she can hold her rum, and beat someone at Liar's Dice, then we'll accept her."

Liar's Dice? Emma felt a piece of giddiness roll through her. She had seen some men playing it at a tavern she had entered on her journeys. She would be able to play that game smoothly, after she had learnt how to actually play it. Calling someone out to be a liar? Her speciality.

"Well, I'm sure Swan would love to prove her ability to drink and gamble," Hook's smooth voice floated down from the helm. Surprising Emma in how much he could hear, "However, I think that until night falls and I decide that drinking and gambling will be allowed, that you should get back to work."

The pirate grumbled and apologized before turning back to do what he was supposed to be doing. All Emma could think of was proving to the crew that she wasn't a princess, and what better way to do that by drinking and gambling? Something a princess would _never _do.

-ღ-

Killian headed below deck a while after the crew. He could hear them as always, cheering and laughing as they drank. What he didn't expect was Swan to be sitting down in the midst of them, hand on a cup and playing Liar's Dice. She seemed to be winning by the amount of gold that sat closest to her, a smug smile on her face as a pirate passed two gold coins over to her.

Peg bounded over to him, grinning ear to ear, "She's awesome, I bet she could even beat you!"

Silence went around the room at that; Killian mulled the words carefully, appraising the Swan girl. "What do you say, Swan?"

"Well, you can't be good at everything," Swan shrugged her shoulder, a devilish grin stretching over her lips before the table cleared a spot for him and he sat down. "What are we betting on?"

"Just that shiny gold you have, if you do manage to beat me. The next time we play," he leaned forwards, "The stakes _will _rise," he winked at her before preparing for her defeat. Emma just nodded her head and the game was reset. The gold pushed towards the center of the table. It was a quick game, but finally he called six fives. Swan stared at him with a hard look and then grinned.

"Liar."

They both lifted their cups and revealed that there was only four fives shown. It was silent as Killian assessed the woman's win before grinning at her and tossing an extra coin on top of the pile.

Well, Swan earned the crew's respect after that, if not his. Not everyone on his crew could say they beat him at Liar's Dice, but the first female crew member he had ever had could. He stared at her as congratulations and laughter rung out and rum was poured. The others began singing a chantey as he leaned forwards, "Just who are you, Swan?"

She replied with a tight-lipped smile, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Perhaps I would."


	7. On The Horizon

**Authors Note: **Since it currently is 4 days and counting until I am on break for Christmas, it's really stressful and I haven't had much time to write. I currently have two stories on hiatus, and I have to finish writing the two I am working on right now. I have 10 more chapters written. With the chapters I have planned out, I will have 24 chapters in total for this story. So the progress for this story at the current moment is:

17/24 chapters. I have just five measly chapters left to write! I should be completey finished writing this story by the New Year. I will go to every four days publishing after I finish writing. Until then it's the once a week schedule (though this week because I uploaded on Sunday it will be twice awake.) I will possibly have the completed story up around Feb 5th 2014? Don't quote me on that. I'm hoping to write the five chapters by the end of the week. However that's pushing it~!

Read on friends!

* * *

It had been weeks since Emma had first stepped aboard the Jolly Roger. She was use to the sway of the ship beneath her feet, she was learning chantey's, learning how to navigate about the ship in efficient ways. She had even helped one of the crew's retie some knots on the mast. Which if she had looked down to see Hook, she would've seen the disproving glare he sent the man who invited her up so high. It was exhilarating and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. It was just as Hook had described it to her. Vast and free. She could see blue wherever she looked, and there was always a story to be told or song to be sung.

She found herself spending a lot of time at the helm, however. Listening to Hook tell of his adventures at sea. Battling mermaids, transcending realms. She loved the tales he told her of when he would escape various dangerous situations. Those were the kinds of stories she loved to hear about from her parents, but those same stories were forbidden to be shared with the princess. It just wasn't something you told a future queen. She was supposed to cringe at the thought of battle and faint at the sight of blood.

A pirate had actually brought that up, much to Emma's amusement. He accused her of not actually being a woman, but a man with feminine features. Hook had jumped to her defense, saying that Emma was very much a woman, before winking at her. She didn't understand the looks the crew gave each other, almost of understanding, nor did she want to know. Whenever someone cut themselves, she would look at that pirate who accused her and asked him if he was going to faint.

It always brought a chuckle up from the crew, and when the pirate decided, he had enough of her teasing. She began to regret her teasing slightly. He approached her as she helped some of the crew transfer some supplies onto the ship at a port. Hook and most of the crew were at a tavern, or wherever their fancies brought them.

She ducked below deck with a crate and situated it where she had been directed before. It was heavy, and honestly as a princess, she was not use to it. As a woman running for her life in the unknowing protection of pirates, she was use to it. Her parents had taught her to adapt as she went, mostly that was for figuring out how to best impress visiting dignitaries or how to assess situations happening in the kingdom and deal with them smoothly.

"I ain't a sodding woman," a deep voice snarled, and the man she had teased – Was it Vincent? Victor? No...Vance – was blocking her exit, "and I don't like being compared to one neither."

Emma felt her heart hammer in her chest and knew she had to choose her words carefully, but she couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "I understand, comparing you to women is an insult to all women everywhere. I'll think of a better insult next time."

"How did you get in the captain's good graces with a mouth like yers?" he demanded, still a snarl in his voice. Emma went to retort, but a look passed over Vance's face. "Wait a minute; I think I know exactly how."

"Oh, well then please enlighten me, because I've been wondering that myself," Emma said dryly, glancing behind the man. Where was the rest of the crew? Weren't they still loading the ship? Someone _should've_ stumbled upon them already. No, she couldn't rely on them; she had to figure out of this on her own. She couldn't rely on others for the rest of her life, well...as royalty, she could, but that was beside the point.

"Life at sea can get pretty lonely," he smirked at her, "I'm sure that the Captain appreciates a female on board, specially one with a pretty mouth likes yers."

Emma clued onto what he was insinuating quickly and a look of disgust washed over her face. "I have not been with Hook."

"Then how does he know if yer a lady?" he demanded.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Because, he's not an idiot like you are."

Vance ignored her words and stared at her with a hard expression. He stepped forwards, "I should see why yer so worth keeping around. Make sure the Captain's getting the best."

Three things happened then. He lunged forwards. Emma ducked. The sound of shoes on the deck above made them both freeze. Emma looked at the man before opening her mouth to call out. He lunged again, clamping his hand over her mouth hard enough to make her body to jolt backwards and head to smack against the crates. She let out a squeeze of pain before Vance's hand secured itself over her mouth. They were still as Emma tried to get loose, but Vance was bigger and she didn't exactly know who was on deck. It could be a pirate who was friendly with her and respected the Captain too much to let something that would clearly be against his morals go. On the other hand, it could be a pirate who was the opposite and would help Vance whom had his disgusting hand over her mouth.

Long agonizing minutes went past before the footsteps headed towards the gangplank again. Vance turned his angry glare onto her. "Yer more trouble than a whore should be."

She wanted to reply back with a witty comeback, maybe screaming for help would be a better choice, but either way she couldn't. His hand was still over her mouth, nearly covering her nose. She was thankful that she could still breathe. Her heart was hammering in her chest but she didn't truly assess the danger she was in until the man undid the ties to his pants and then reached forwards and grasped at her belt. Anger flared through her and she threw her knee upwards. Catching the man between the legs. Hard.

He doubled over, hand slipping from her mouth.

Emma didn't even think. She gave him a hard shove, not even regretting it when he fell into the crates and knocked them down. The supplies were ruined now, but she knew it could be stolen from someone.

Then she turned on her heel and dashed onto deck, it was empty. Where the _fuck _was the crew? She didn't know the port well enough to know where to run to be safe, so instead she darted towards the gangplank. Making sure that she made enough noise that Vance would head that way and off the ship. She then climbed up one of the shrouds until she was as high as she could be.

It was one thing to face her opponent when she had a sword and could defend herself. It was another to be nearly defenceless against a man twice her size who was in a rage.

It was then Emma heard someone walking up the gangplank and turned to see Hook and Smee, the latter of the two was stumbling slightly as he walked, but otherwise unimpaired. She watched as Vance burst from the hold, blood dripping down his forehead from what she assumed was the broken crates. Hook looked surprised and moved towards Vance, hand moving to his cutlass.

"What's wrong, mate?"

"What's wrong?" Vance snapped, "What's bloody wrong is your _whore_."

"My what?" Hook stopped his advance, confusion lacing his tone. "I don't have a whore. I've never paid a woman for sex, nor do I intend to."

"The Swan girl! That little bitch pushed me into the supplies, broken nearly four hundred coins worth of items."

"Why would she do that?" Hook asked calmly, hand tightening around his cutlass, "Where is she?"

"The bloody bitch took off, all I told her was that I was close to figuring out who she is and she shoved me."

There was a long stretch of silence, Smee looking between the two of them. Assessing the situation in his drunken state. Hook reached forwards and grasped Vance's shoulder, walking him towards the gangplank. "Then we should go find her."

"And cut her bloody throat," Vance's tone was an order, which Hook read well. However instead he just grinned at Vance and gave him a hard shove down the gangplank. The man tumbled onto the dock and looked up at Hook with thinly veiled anger.

"No, so she can cut yours."

"What!" Vance roared, "You're choosing a whore over a pirate who's been aboard your ship for many years?"

Hook drew his sword, a deadly look on his face, "Men, or women, who join my crew are promised safety from the other crew members."

"Then shouldn't you be pointing your sword in her face?"

"You say you were talking to her, I say you were planning on taking advantage of her. You're pants are undone," Hook waved his sword down and then glared. "You are not to come back onto this ship until you either tell me the truth about what happened, or Swan comes back and tells me her version. If you did more to her than I suspect, I'll feed you to the sharks instead."

"Captain-"

"Shut your bloody mouth. I expect a level of honor to be upheld on my ship, and rape is something I will never condone."

Emma saw other crewmembers watching from further down the dock. When Vance stormed down the dock, they parted and not one gave him a pitying glance. They instead continued to the Jolly Roger and waited until Hook stepped aside and let them climb aboard. Once they were all on board, Hook sheathed his sword and turned towards them. "Twenty gold pieces to the man who kills him," he spoke clearly, "and let this be a lesson to you all. Touch Swan, or any female, in a way that she does not wish to be touched, and there will be twenty gold pieces to the man who brings me your head. Understand, mates?"

A round of aye's floated up to her ears and she breathed out a sigh of relief, but still clung to the shroud as if her life depended on it. Her heart was still beating in her chest wildly. Hook studied the faces of his men before looking towards the dock and then turned sharply towards his men. "Where are the men who were suppose to be loading the ship with supplies?"

No one said anything, just shuffled their feet and glanced around. Hook surveyed the crowd and Emma could tell that he didn't see any of the men. He cursed. "From now on, if I give an order, do not stop until you have carried it to completion!" he growled, angrier at the fact that the ship didn't have everything aboard than at his crew. "Finish loading the ship and preparing it for the journey in the morning! If Swan comes aboard, send her to my chambers, I'd like to speak to her."

More aye's before Hook turned, his coat billowing around him and he stormed into his cabin. The door slammed shut and the crew jumped to do his bidding. Well, at least the ones who were sober enough to carry it out. Emma continued to clutch the ropes of the shroud until most of the crew had retired below. Only a few were still on deck, drinking or just lounging about.

Peg was sitting on the railing beside the gangplank looking at the dock intently. She climbed down quietly and landed on the deck with a slight thud. Peg looked back sharply and their eyes met. He jumped up and hugged her tightly, surprising her. "You didn't leave!" he cried out happily, startling the other crewmembers into looking over. "You outsmarted Vance! Are you hurt?" he backed up and studied her for a moment, "Why didn't you come down earlier?"

Emma was about to speak but Peg shook his head, "Captain's wanting you in his quarters."

"I heard," she murmured before ruffling his hair, "Thanks for caring, kid."

He scowled lightly at her, "I'm not a kid."

"How old are you, anyways?" she asked, a question she hadn't been able to poise before. He looked younger than anyone else on the crew that much was sure.

"Eleven."

Her heart dropped and she stared at him in shock. This kid was eleven? With the amount of dirt on his face and his outfit and knowledge, he seemed to be just below adulthood. He gave her a light push towards the stern of the ship and then headed towards the crew's quarters. Emma wanted to reach out to the boy but instead turned on her heel and all but stormed towards the captain's quarters. The moment with Vance completely off her mind as Peg's age weighed at her heart. She knocked on the door and waited until Hook barked at whoever it was to either sod off or come in.

Emma opened the door and entered. Hook was sitting at his desk; legs propped up, shirt unbuttoned and flask in his mouth as he downed his rum. Normally that sight would've given her some pause, but right now, she stormed straight up to his table. "Eleven?" she snapped.

Hook gave her a confused look, "What are you talking about, love?"

"He's eleven!" she nearly shouted, but checked her volume and leaned forwards instead. "Why would you bring an eleven year old boy aboard a pirate ship?"

"He's useful, and his parents abandoned him. I wasn't going to let the boy die," he explained before swinging his legs off his desk and standing up. "Why the bloody hell are you questioning me about that? You're virtue was almost taken!"

"I can handle myself, but an eleven year old boy-"

"_Swan_," he snapped, "The boy's been on this ship for a year and hasn't had anything happen to him. You however have been on board for less than a few months and something horrible happens, and you want to talk about _him_?"

"I was raised to care about others, Hook. Too see their happiness is accomplished before my own."

Hook slammed his flask down a bit harder than necessary and rubbed his face. "If you want the boy's safety, then you're in charge of making sure he's not hurt," he ordered, giving her a look. "There. That's done. Why don't we focus on something more pressing, shall we?"

Emma glared at him, but knew that it would just be a back and forth until one of them broke, and she knew that neither of them would break. She had to relent...for now. However, it wasn't over and she would be speaking to him again about it in the near future, she could bet on that. "Fine."

Hook's face softened and he walked around the table, "What happened?"

She told him exactly what happened, holding no detail back. Hook's face hardened until he had to look away. "Who would've come back to the ship?"

"I don't know, but I also suspect Vance had something to do with the other crew member's sudden disappearance. We'll depart first thing in the morning. You'll spend the night here, and I'll sleep in the crew's quarters," he ordered, moving to grab some things, Emma grabbed his arm.

"What are you talking about?"

"If Vance does return, I'm sure it'll be to slit your throat. He'll expect you to be with the others."

"Ah, but if he sees you there, he'll figure out where I am."

Hook hesitated, studying her. "Then what do you propose, because I am not risking your life or any other crew member's life because of that bastard."

Emma was silent for a moment. Blowing through a couple different plans in her head before she met his eyes again. "You said this ship will go where you want, regardless of how many crew members?" he slowly nodded, "Well, we sail out of port so Vance cannot get on the ship for the night. Gather some supplies before we leave tomorrow and then sail off for the last time. If Vance does try anything tomorrow morning, I'm sure one of your crew will be up to slicing his throat and winning those twenty gold pieces."

Hook grinned at her, "You're bloody amazing, Swan."


	8. Stealing A Brig

Emma clutched the shroud ropes as she stared out at the sea. Peg was watching the sea with her as well. The seas were calm today and most of the crew was lounging about. No one had tried anything since Vance, especially when one crewmember showed up with Vance's head in a sack and gave it to Hook. Emma didn't let herself think too hard about what Hook did with the head. Fed it to sharks, tossed the bloody sack towards some guards. She didn't want to know. It just helped that she knew that Vance couldn't come back and finish what he was so set to do.

"Captain!" a crewmember called, pulling Emma's attention away from the sea. A man was peering over the other side of the ship. "Ship off starboard!"

Hook instantly moved to the railing, pulling out a spyglass and using his teeth and good hand to extend it. After he examined the ship, a slow smile stretched over his face. A dark smile that Emma didn't like one bit. "All hands on deck!" he ordered loudly, bounding up to the helm and taking hold of the pegs. He barked out orders and steered the Jolly Roger towards the other ship. Peg grasped Emma's arm and tugged her away from the rail.

"What's happening?" she asked him as they moved about the deck helping where they could.

"He's going to tail after that ship for a while, and then if he decides we can attack it without too much damage we will. Of course, there is only a slight chance we'll actually end up fighting anyone, most ships we do try to board surrender quickly. Hopefully this one isn't any different," Peg explained glancing towards the distant sails. "The Captain will tell us what to expect, hopefully it's not a Galleon, for a first time pirate that'll be overwhelming."

"How many times have you been a part of capturing a ship, kid?" Emma asked, frowning and looking towards Hook. He was talking to Smee, as he gazed towards the ship with his spyglass. Peg was silent for a while.

"I don't know a few. Captain doesn't like to capture too many ships, we lose crew members that way and it damages the ship quite a bit," Peg answered with a shrug before grabbing her arm and moving her closer to the rails and pointed at the other ship. "It doesn't look that big, so we won't be in danger."

"I won't let you get hurt, kid," Emma insisted, and Peg glanced up at her with a look of confusion and awe. "We'll get through this."

"You don't need to protect me, Swan," Peg countered, almost shyly and glanced out to sea. "Hook's the only person whose been protecting me."

Emma ruffled his hair, "Well; now you've got me."

He grinned up at her then, as if deciding that it was a good thing. "You remind me of my mother."

Emma felt her heart sink and she wanted to pull Peg against her chest and hug him. However, she settled with squeezing his shoulder and looking out towards the sea. It scared her that she reminded him of someone so important in his life, but she knew it was just a feeling he had. A woman caring for him would equal him thinking that she was like his mother. Whoever his mother was.

The ship was gaining closer to the other ship when Hook called out to the others. "Fly the colours, mates!" he ordered, and a familiar flag was attached to the main mast atop. Emma balked at the colours. Her kingdoms colours. Her head snapped back to the ship and her fingers dug into the wood of the Jolly Roger. Please let it just be a merchant ship delivering some basic supplies to her kingdom. Do not let it be her parents travelling to a distant realm, or some other noble who might single her out.

She badly wanted to disappear beneath deck, but her body was telling her that if she did that, she'd be leaving Peg alone and he couldn't be left alone. He was eleven. Not fit to fight against any naval ship. Anger flared in her stomach towards Hook. How could he be doing this? He seemed like an honorable man one day, and the next he pulled shit like this. She wanted to go up to him and teach him a lesson. Easier thought than done. It would probably be seen as an act against the captain and she'd be punished for that.

The other ship slowed down, allowing the Jolly Roger to pull up in appropriate distance. Emma could estimate that if either ship was to fire, it would hit. However, they were still far enough away that the other ship probably couldn't tell that this ship wasn't one from her parent's kingdom. She watched the pirates intently. Hook ordered for the flag to be replaced and a single warning shot to be fired.

Hook wanted surrender.

Emma knew that if the other vessel was a ship containing a royal, it wouldn't surrender. Her knuckles went white, and Peg placed a hand on her arm and smiled up at her. "Don't worry, the Captain will give their captain every opportunity to surrender."

"If the other captain doesn't?"

"We'll board it."

Emma prayed it wasn't going to come to that, but after a while of attempts to force the other ship to surrender. She knew it was coming to that. Hook ordered to board the other ship.

The Jolly Roger pulled up close to the other ship and the crew threw ropes and hooks across the water. Securing the two boats together. Emma noted how neither ship used their cannons to tear the other ship down. Hook looked across the ship at the other captain. Eyebrow raised and awaiting the man to say his surrender. He truly didn't care if he had to kill the man, regardless he generally would. Taking the rest of his crew prisoner, either killing them or making a few a part of his crew. After all, he had a few beds that could be filled due to Vance's betrayal.

Peg turned to Emma. "Hook will send most of us across, get your sword ready."

Emma nodded in a daze, but followed Peg and grabbed a cutlass. She didn't want to fight against a ship from her family's kingdom. It felt like a betrayal. In fact, this entire situation was against everything she was raised to believe. To fight and kill men whom she had sworn to protect and help if she could when she had her crowning ceremony years before. Her gut was screaming against this, and her fingers tightened until she was sure there would be imprints from the leather and her knuckles were white.

"Board the ship; kill all those who do not surrender!" Hook ordered from the helm. Emma glanced at Peg.

"Why isn't he-"

"If he goes across, all of the sailors will target him first and if he dies, then the other ship will win," Peg explained quickly before tugging her across towards the other ship. She wanted to dig her heels into the wood and then take Peg and hide beneath the deck, but she didn't. Against her better judgement, she climbed onto the other ship and was instantly thrown into a whirlwind of destruction and malice.

She parried a haphazardly swung sword and pushed the man away with her sword. It didn't take much to disable that man, but she felt horrible watching the red blood stain the navy suit of her kingdom. Her fingers loosened on the cutlass. What had she done? What had she done! Her eyes swept to deck and she saw men being slaughtered this way and that. Peg was defending himself, and she hurried to the boy's side, helping him take out the man. Ignoring her gut feeling to jump back onto the Jolly Roger and hide herself behind the crates.

This wasn't Princess Emma.

This was Swan.

A farmer who became a pirate because she fell into the good graces of Captain Hook.

That gave her some solace, as fake as it was, but she hoped it was enough to let her sleep at night.

The crew of the Jolly Roger swept the deck quickly and finally the other Captain surrendered. This news brought Hook over to the other ship, and Emma could see from the blood over his eyebrow that he hadn't been free of fighting. The sailors from the vessel they stood upon had probably crossed over in attempt to clear off the other ship so they could have the advantage of capturing the other vessel. It hadn't worked over, considering the fact that the other Captain was on his knees in front of Hook. A few other surviving crewmembers beside him, burning holes into the wood of the ship with their eyes.

Emma stood back with Peg, her shoulder bleeding from a narrowly missed sword swing. Her hand was covering the wound, in an attempt to staunch the blood or simply to try to dull the pain, she didn't know.

"Well, well," Hook intoned, staring down at the crew with a devilish smirk. "Took you long enough to surrender."

"The Queen and King would be in disdain to know we surrendered to a pirate like you," the Captain spat out, "They may be forgiving to everyone, but to a man like you, _never_."

Emma looked up from the back of Peg's head to examine the man. He had a beard and greying hair. He was wise and growing old. He was familiar. He was one of her parents favourite Captains. Guilt tugged at her heart and she moved to step forwards but Peg grabbed her arm. The movement caught the other Captains attention. His head turned to her and recognition flashed through his eyes, before it was wiped away with confusion and then anger. She hung her head in shame, looking away.

"Do you surrender?" Hook asked, looking at the other men, "You will become part of the Jolly Roger, your lives spared."

Not one volunteered, causing Hook to sigh and shake his head. "Pity, you brave souls fought valiantly until the bitter end."

Hook squatted down and gave the man an icy look. "You could've spared many lives today, but instead you decided to fight and then used your crown's name to explain why you allowed so many of your men to die for you. You're no better than what you make pirates out to be."

"I have morals," the Captain snapped out, his eyes not on Hook, but on Emma. He noticed that and grasped the man's face.

"What morals allow his men to be slaughtered when a peaceful conclusion could've happened?" Hook demanded angrily. "We gave you the opportunity to surrender, and yet you didn't take our generous offer."

He stood up and looked to the others, "Take what we need and everything else you can tear off this bloody wreck!"

Everyone scuttled off, save Peg and Emma. Peg tugged at Emma's arm, trying to get her to move. However, her feet seemed to be lead and no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn't bring herself to move. Hook gave her a hard look. "Swan. Do as I command."

The Captain looked as if he was about to say something, and Emma looked straight into Hook's eyes. "Are you going to kill him?"

Hook's eyebrow rose, "Are you questioning my authority?"

"I am asking you a question," Emma bit back.

"Aye, lass, now do as I command."

"Don't do it."

"Smee, take Swan back to the Jolly Roger," Hook ordered, turning back to the Captain. Smee walked over to her, placed a hand on her arm, and gave her a gentle push towards the Jolly Roger. Her legs locked in place and she took a step towards Hook. Peg grasped her arm and gave her a pleading look.

They could see the anger wash over Hook, he drew his cutlass and rose it up. The Captain looked over at Emma then closed his eyes, "Emma-"

Hook's cutlass swung down and Emma saw every gory detail. Her eyes widened as the Captain's body slumped to the deck and his blood stained the wood. Her legs unlocked and she felt as if she was going to faint. Instead, she turned and jumped over the rail and landed on the Jolly Rogers deck. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes and she headed down into the hull of the ship and pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes.

The Captain had said her name. The Captain had said her name. The Captain had said her fucking name.

She was screwed, Hook was smart. He would put two and two together and get the right conclusion. The Captain kept looking at her with confusion and anger, he said the Princesses name, and he all but screamed he knew her...and god. Emma didn't do anything to help the situation. She couldn't save the Captain. What good was she if she was to become Queen and defend her people? No. She couldn't.

Emma couldn't become a Queen when she did something so dastardly against her kingdom. Against her own people. Against someone her parents held in such high regard. She felt her chest clench. Her parents would figure out and cast her away. Hook would know she is a princess and either do what pirates were know to do with royalty or cast her away like some urchin. She would be alone. Part of her wondered why she cared what Hook would do to her, she shouldn't care. If he killed her then she wouldn't have to face her parent's anger and even worse, their disappointment.

She punched the wall of the ship. Emma cursed Regina. She cursed Hook. She cursed the mercenaries. She cursed everyone she could think of involved with the situation before sinking to her knees, gasping air. Her knuckles raw and embedded with splinters. She didn't care. It was pain she could handle. Unlike that of her deeds against her parents.

The door burst open, slamming against the wall of the ship. Hook stormed in, slamming the door closed behind him. He took in the sight of Emma, but she saw that the sight of her bleeding and in a state of distress didn't cool his anger in the slightest. "What the hell was that?" he demanded, but she didn't reply. She couldn't reply. It would give too much away. "Swan!" he grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. "Answer your captain when he speaks to you."

Emma stayed silent. The tension in the cabin rising until her eyes flickered up to meet his. "Yes, _Captain_," her heard the bitterness in her words, and she couldn't stop them. He stared at her with hard eyes.

"What. The. Hell. Was. That," he ground out.

"Why did you have to kill that man?" Emma blurted out, yanking her arm away from him. "Why'd you have to attack a ship from my kingdom?"

Hook stared at her incredulously, "This is what that was about? Swan, it's time you learnt what it truly means to be a pirate. We take what we want, when we want it. We gave those men ample opportunity to surrender. They cast their own fate. Not I."

"Yet you swung the sword yourself, and then walk in here with it still slick with his blood," Emma snarled at him.

"Did you know that sodding man, because you seem awfully up in arms about it," Hook stepped into her space, attempting to intimidate her. She was silent before she whispered the affirmative. It looked as if Hook was slapped in the face. He stepped back, "You did..."

"He came to port near my house quite often," she lied, eyes filling with tears, "He'd tell me stories about sailing."

Hook reached forwards to wipe a tear that slipped down her eye, but she jerked out of his reach violently. "If this is what it means to be a pirate. Slaughtering innocent men for your own benefit. Count me out. I'll pay for my passage to my kingdom, and then I'm done with you."

She turned and stormed back onto deck and into the crew's quarters. Where she would spend the next few weeks cooped up.


	9. Under the Black Flag

Emma gave up sleeping in the crew's quarters, and spent sleepless nights on deck. Alternatively, down in the hold when a night was particularly icy. She ignored everyone besides Peg and sometimes Smee, keeping to herself. She also found out that in such close quarters it wasn't very easy to keep secrets. Everyone knew that she was acting like this because their Captain had slain someone she knew personally, even respected. There was mixed feelings about that. Some wanted her to be tossed from the ship as anyone else, some sympathized with her and said that she should be brought to a near port and dropped off. Allowing her to spend as little time with them as possible.

It was a long couple weeks until Hook's anger about the situation had dwindled and he began to feel guilty when he would wake and find Emma lying on the deck of the ship, wrapped in the cloak he had scrounged up for her months ago. She was down in the hull when he found her alone. She was reading a book she had discovered in the crates from the other ship. It surprised him greatly that a farmer's daughter was able to read, and read so smoothly as it seemed.

Emma had taken to ignoring everyone so much, that she barely even noticed Hook entering and standing there. Until he came closer and sat down across from her. She lowered the book immediately hiding it beneath her cloak and staring at the patterns in the wood of a crate. Taking sudden interest in it. Hook studied her long and hard.

"Lass, what I did was for the protection of this crew," he insisted, leaning forwards his tone quiet and persuasive. "If I didn't kill that man-"

"If you didn't kill that man, he would've been able to return back to his family. To his children," Emma snapped out. The first time speaking to him since the day. "He would've been able to retire from his kingdoms service after surviving a pirate attack with honor. The Queen and King would've appreciated his bravery. He could've lived a happy life if you let him live."

Hook looked genuinely pained by that, his eyes flickered to the space between them and he scratched his ear slightly. "Love-"

"Do not call me that," she snarled, moving to get up. He sighed and stood up along with her.

"Lass-"

"Not that either, do not call me any nickname."

"Then what do you want me to call you, I haven't even got your name," Hook stated, giving her a pointed look. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Just tell me what you came in here to tell me so we can go back to pretending the other doesn't exist."

"I don't want that," Hook admitted quietly, "I'd rather acknowledge your existence and make you understand my motivations behind killing that man."

"Just because I'd know your motivations does not mean I'll excuse you for your actions, those are two completely different things," Emma bit out, stepping away from him to create more space between them. Hook stared at the space for a moment and then met her piercing gaze.

"I understand that," Hook sighed, "but I killed him because it's my duty as a captain. Did that man ever tell you what would happen if his crew had to capture a ship? The captain must be killed, as an example to the rest of the crew. If I hadn't killed the captain...you do realize that the only reason this crew works together so well is the morals that I have thoroughly ingrained into my crew?"

Emma rolled her eyes, glaring at him. She didn't care about that. She wanted to know the exact reason why he thought he had to kill the captain and in front of her to boot. Even if Hook didn't know Emma knew the man, for him to let a woman watch a murder didn't exude the 'Good Form' he seemed to live by.

He reached forwards as if to brush one of her curls from her shoulder, but let his arm fall between them. Knowing it would do more harm than good in the current situation. He kept telling himself that the only reason he was down here was to convince her to become part of the crew again, make it so that there would be less tension on board. He would do this to any of his sailors if they secluded themselves from the rest of the ship. Deep in his gut, he knew it wasn't true. He wasn't going to dwell on that fact, however. It would do him no good.

"There are some things that must be done, and you should realize this, Swan. I am no hero, and I will never be. I'm a pirate. As a Captain, I must keep a firm grip on situations or else my crew will see me as weak. These men are good, but they need to survive, if they have a weak captain, they won't survive. There would be a mutiny. People will get hurt and those who are faithful to me will meet Davy Jones' Locker," his tone lost its softness and grew a hard edge. The kind of tone the guards of her castle use to give her when she was in trouble. Years ago that would've caused her to duck her head in shame and scuffle her feet, pretending to be sorry for getting in trouble. Now? She stared Hook down.

"I would've forfeited my life if I were to let that man live. I'm a fan of being alive," he smiled in attempt to lessen the tension. Emma gave him a hard look.

"That doesn't excuse it. You could've chosen to bypass that ship, spare those men's life. What did you even get from them?"

Hook rubbed his mouth and stepped back. "We got supplies to replace the ones that Vance crushed, as well as replacement rope, gun powder, food, other materials that are needed for a long journey."

"Paid for with the price of blood," Emma growled, furthering the distance between them. He gave her a heated look, and Emma knew he wanted this enter thing to be over and done with. For her to forgive him, but she wouldn't- couldn't do that.

"If you had told me that you knew that man, if you had come to me and told me that it was a bad idea to capture that ship, or said anything to me, I would've taken it into consideration. Upsetting a member of my crew is bad form, I will avoid it when I can," Hook confirmed, moving closer to her. Ignoring her wish to be separate from him. "If you wish to stay on board then we will have to come to some sort of conclusion to all of this."

"Who says I wish to stay on board?" Emma snapped, "I want to go home, not spend my days with blood thirsty pirates. I don't understand why you can't just have an honourable job instead of doing this?"

Hook's face tightened, attempting to maintain a sort of indifference. It startled Emma how easily she was able to read him. There was something he was holding back, something he was hiding from her. She crossed her arms, awaiting for him to say something. Instead, he turned and strode towards the door. "If you want to go home, we'll set course to a nearby port. You'll have ample time to gather you belongings and say goodbye to Peg and anyone else."

Emma felt guilt tug at her stomach and she glared at him. Was he using her friendship with Peg against her? She wanted to punch him. She nearly did, her fingers clenched tightly into fists, but she kept them locked to her sides.

No, she wasn't going to let Peg stay on the ship alone. Whether that meant trying to convince the boy to go on land with her, or figuring a way to make sure he was safe. She wasn't about to admit it, but she had grown fond of the boy. With everything, she had seen on board this ship, she didn't want Peg to continue to live like this. He deserved to be a boy while he still could, not battle the thought of if he was to survive until his next birthday, or to the next month, even the next day!

She glared at the door, pretending it was Hook's head. No, she wasn't going to settle with that. Instead, she stormed to the door and pulled it open. She was going to say something to him, tell her exactly what she thought of everything that was going on. After all, she was her mother's daughter.

The rest of the crew seemed a mite shocked to see her out on the deck during the day, and looking as angry as she marched across to the captain's quarters. Where their captain had disappeared moments ago. Peg made a wise decision to distract everyone but starting to sing a sea chantey off tune, which the rest of them joined in slowly but surely until the deck was full of song and laughter, completely forgetting about the angry woman and their captain.

Emma opened Hook's door and strode in. Her eyes landing on his shirtless torso. For a moment she was at loss for words, his back was littered with angry white marks; some nicely healed barely there scars, some angry puckered scars. For a brief moment she wanted to ask, him how he got them, run her fingers over each of his scars and hear his wild stories. However, she quickly shook that thought among others out of her head and glared at him.

"How dare you."

"Excuse me?" Hook peered over his shoulder, a look of amusement in his eyes, "How dare I? Doesn't a lady know that you must knock before entering someone's cabin? What if I weren't clad with these," he gave a loose tug at the belt holding his pants firmly in place. Emma scowled at him and strode towards the table, ignoring his words as best as she could.

"You know how to manipulate people well, Hook, but I will not allow you to do so with me."

"What are you talking about, Swan? I would never manipulate you," he retorted, but his tone told her differently. "Why would I want to manipulate you anyways?"

"You're trying to get me to stay," she blurted out before she could stop herself, "Otherwise you wouldn't have used Peg to guilt trip me."

"I am merely looking out for the boys interests, he is awfully fond of you, and if you were to leave it would break his tiny heart," Hook walked over to the table, picking up a knocked over flask and using his teeth to pull the cork off. "Why would I want a woman on board my ship who is clearly lying to me about who she is, and won't even give me her true name, _Emma_."

Her heart leapt to her throat, and her eyes widened. He did it. He drew the conclusions together. Her hand curled into a fist and she took a step back. He would tell the crew and who knows what would happen to her then. A princess was a worthy prize, especially when her parents would do _anything_ to get her back safe and sound.

Hook lifted the flask to his mouth and took a swig of its contents. "Why do you fear your name so much?" he asked, giving her a sidelong glance. "It's a lovely name."

"Why do you think?" she snapped standing tall and trying to show him she wasn't scared. Completely far from the truth. She was _terrified_ of what he would do and what he would think of her. He walked towards her, and for each step he took, she took one back. All the way until her back touched the hull of the ship and his lips were close enough that if she tilted her head she could figure out what it would feel like to have his lips against hers.

"I don't know, but I will figure it out," he whispered in an almost huskily way. "Don't underestimate my ability to get what I want, _Emma_." Her name was like a sin the way he spoke it, and she was trying hard not to shiver at the feeling of his breath washing against her lips and cheeks. Currently, she _hated_ him, and _hated _how he was making her feel. It was unfair.

"You want to know so much about me," she managed finally, sounding as if she was having trouble breathing properly, "but why would I tell that to a blood thirsty pirate with no history to speak of?"

"Love, I am not just a bloody thirsty pirate," his lips stretched into a smirk as his fingers brushed her cheek, "but if I tell you my past, you must promise to tell me yours. The truth." Her breath caught in her throat and she could only nod. Too caught up in the moment to realize that he had tricked her into a promise she didn't intend to keep.

Hook tucked a stray hair behind her ear, eyes flickering down to her lips before he stepped away. He walked over to the bed and lifted the shirt that lay there and pulled it on. Buttoning it up, "Well, love, let me tell you about how Killian Jones became a pirate."


	10. The (Mis)Fortune of Killian Jones

**Fifteen Years Ago**

"Hurry, lads," a harsh whisper urged the two boys down the cobble stone streets. It was before dawn and they heard angry calls floating towards them from their house. Killian glanced briefly over his shoulder, but his elder brother urged him on, a look of urgency in the older boys face. What was happening? Their footsteps were quick and silent as they hurried towards the docks. Their last chance of freedom, or so their father had told them. They ran quickly until they reached the docks. A ship was there, rocking against the water as it lapped against her sides.

Killian had never seen anything so...beautiful. He barely got enough time to take in the pure size and beauty of the vessel before his father was nearly carrying him up the gangplank and onto the deck. His brother grabbed his arm to help steady the smaller boy as a powerful wave crashed against the ship. Their father gave a man some papers, who simply nodded and shook their father's hand. It was all confusing to the ten-year-old boy; no one told him anything when it came to his father. His mother had simply distracted him, his brother simply told him it was complicated, and his father always reprimanded him when he tried to ask him.

It wasn't that Killian was locked away from the outside world or stupid. He knew the way of the streets, how to steal from someone's pockets without them even noticing. He could picklocks, pilfer stores, and feign innocent with the best of them. Even more so because he had an innocent face and didn't look like a typical beggar child.

His father escorted Liam and Killian below deck to the crew's quarters, getting them settled into their bunks. He himself climbed into one of the bunks. Killian listened to some men speaking to the guard on the gangplank. Asking after his father, the man told them there was no man with the last name Jones on the ship. It surprised him that his father lied to the men to get aboard the ship. His mother had been venomously against lying for your own gain, she thought it was uncouth and troublesome. Lying for the protection of someone else was necessary.

What he didn't know, is that his father wasn't lying to protect his sons, but rather to protect himself. Killian didn't know until much later. After he woke up during a bad storm and found his father's bed empty, the man nowhere on deck. A crewmember had spoke harsh words about their father until the day the two boys grew up and left the ship. It had wizened the two of them, but they had a taste for the sea and signed up for the navy under the crown.

It took plenty years of hard work and good form, but they quickly raised through the ranks. Captain Liam Jones and Lieutenant Killian Jones. A fearsome and loyal team who were straight laced and never strayed from the duty to the king. They braved many storms, did every request from their king to a T, and never let a sailor die if it could be avoided. It was great. However, Killian pretended he didn't feel the sting of his father's abandonment still after so long.

Years after they had risen through the ranks, a war started between the different Kingdoms. Allies became enemies, enemies became allies. The war last three years, and the Jones brothers were sure they were going to make it out of the war alive and as war heroes. Unfortunately, lady luck did not smile upon on them.

They were assigned to a task of serious importance. Only the Captain knew of the quest they were on, and as they headed further and further out to sea, Killian's mind began to question what was happening. He asked his brother what their cargo was, but the man didn't even know. It had been stocked by the king's trusted men and they were to take it to the neighbouring kingdom and given out to the people there.

Liam told Killian not to question their king, and both of them obeyed. It wasn't until one of the sailors came down with a terrible illness that they figured out what was in the cargo hold. Poisoned supplies. The sailor had gone down and saw some of his favourite bread; he had taken a sample and had grown terribly ill. Vomiting up blood and passing away a few hours after eating it. A violent death.

The Captain ordered for the cargo to be emptied on a nearby island and burned so that no innocent man, woman or child could _ever_ face such a horrible end. Liam and Killian spent hours debating over what they should do when the unthinkable happened. Their ship was captured.

Killian fought bravely alongside his brother. He could smell the blood and feel the anger pouring off the opposing sailors as each man clambered to be the best. To destroy his enemy. He had never seen such ruthless fighting before. The Jewel of The Realm was damaged, and if they had any hope of escaping, they would have to win. They would have to kill the opposing ship's crew and then quickly do as many repairs as they could aboard the ship.

Killian brought one man to his knees before glancing about for his brother. Liam was defending himself at the helm against two enemy sailors. Fear shot through Killian and he raced towards the helm, unfortunately...he was too late.

Liam fell to his knees, blood staining his vest as he stared in shock. His captain's hat fell to the wood of the ship and a faint ripple of magic rung out as a drop of blood touched the wood. Killian rushed forwards in anger, raising his sword above his head and killing the man whom committed such a crime against his family. The other man swung at his shoulder and Killian stupidly threw his other arm up to block it, his sword still plunged into the other man's shoulder. In no way coming out.

Fire and agony erupted from his hand and he let an angry and painful howl out as his hand fell to the wood of the ship. Killian cradled his hand, eyes screwed shut as the anger built up in his stomach. He picked up his brothers fallen sword and killed the other man.

The ship chose a new Captain.

Created out of enchanted wood, it was as if it was alive. Choosing Killian Jones to Captain it until the end of his days. Following him wherever he went, regardless if there was anyone captaining it.

His blood soaked into the wood.

He was chosen.

It would've been a blessing, if not for the fact his brother had to die for him to take over.

When he arrived at his kingdoms port, he was immediately taken into custody and brought before the king. The murder of Killian's brother was placed upon his shoulders, the burden and blame now on him. A rumour had been spread that Killian had poisoned his brother and other crew members while out at sea, and that he had poisoned the supplies they were to bring to the neighbouring kingdom. He was to blame for the young Captain's death and by orders of the king, he was to be executed. He was going to be brought to the block.

However, after ten years of his life as a thief with a father who had been easily able to slip out of the law's hands. It was no surprise that he vanished in the middle of the night. His guard dead and no evidence pointing where he could've gone. The Jewel of The Realm vanished the next night.

Killian had travelled two kingdoms over before he began a life as a blacksmith. Something that proved difficult with one hand...until the man he worked for fashioned a brace for his arm. Killian created many different attachments that helped him in his trade, and he fueled his pieces with his hatred for that king, for the sadness he felt for his brother's death.

How could the king be so ruthless and let innocents suffer during a war? A war was between the royals, not the innocent people of the kingdom. Killian swore that if he ever saw a royal from his kingdom again, he would kill them. How dare they let such wickedness be unleashed? The king was a demon in disguise, not a human man.

With his anger fueling everything he did, he fashioned a hook for a hand, to remind himself of the cruelty of royalty. To remind himself that if he _ever_ saw that king again, he would put the hook through his skull. That would be what gave him purpose. That would be what strove him to continue to live, even after everything he loved was torn from him.

He gave up the hope of ever returning to sea, until the Jewel of The Realm sailed onto shore. Until his former crew found him, their naval uniforms gone and replaced with something more akin to pirates. Until they gave him, his brothers captain hat.

That day, he took his hard-earned money and climbed aboard the Jewel of the Realm. Destroying their colours and declaring the ship forever more, the Jolly Roger. They would never bow down before a ruthless king again who wanted to kill innocents to further his power. Never again would they bow down to men who claimed themselves noble while they made others do their dirty work. They were their own men who lived by better morals than their so-called king.

He never allowed himself to be called Captain Jones that title belonged to his brother until the ends of time. That day, he became legend. Captain Hook. A pirate captain who sprung out of nowhere with years of experience and was as ruthless as any pirate. Most importantly was his namesake hook that you would find buried in your neck if you weren't careful.

He would never be like Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

He couldn't bring himself to help men who cowered beneath kings who washed the battlefield with innocent blood.

**Present Day**

Killian studied Emma's face intently as he ended his story about his life. She still stood with her arms crossed, but torrents of emotions were flickering past her eyes. Staring at the table between them. He couldn't tell what she was thinking; it seemed to change as soon as she thought it. Sometimes he couldn't even distinguish the feelings that flittered across her face. Finally, her eyes met his, settling with an emotion. Pain.

A curious emotion. Why was she feeling pained by his story? It was his pain and his pain alone; there should be no pain in his eyes. She opened her mouth, but promptly closed it. Her eyebrows pulling together as she assessed what she was about to say. Finally, she closed her eyes and let out a breath.

"You were Lieutenant Jones?" she whispered, opening her eyes finally. Confused, Killian nodded slowly.

"Didn't you just listen to my story, love?"

Emma's eyes flickered to his hook. The motion sent an uncomfortable feeling down Killian's spine and he shifted so he was facing away from her. The woman was silent for the longest time, until he felt her hand on his arm. He glanced down at her, seeing an apology in her face.

"I thought that no matter what I said, it wouldn't excuse the fact that I killed that man," Killian whispered to her, "Seems like you've changed your opinion on me, Swan."

"My parents taught me that everyone deserves a second chance," Emma said slowly, before crossing her arms, "God knows how many times they gave horrible people second chances, most of the time it blew up in their faces."

"So learn from their mistake," Killian stepped away from her and waving to the door, "You're free to go, I've had enough reminiscing about the past. The future is much more interesting to me."

Emma was silent, even as Killian pulled his vest on and then his leather jacket. Ignoring his not so subtle hint that he wanted to be alone. Instead, she let her arms fall to her sides, and studied him. Killian ignored the way her eyes seemed to burn into his back as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. He continued to ignore her as he walked over and viewed the maps strewn out over the table.

"Your brother-"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Killian bit out; "I told you what happened, explained my past. I will expect you to hold up to your side of the bargain. Tomorrow we'll arrive at a port. You're free to leave after you tell me the true story of your past."

"What if I don't want to leave?" she said softly, crossing her arms and averting her eyes when he looked up at her.

"Where is the stubborn Swan who took months to be convinced into joining my crew?" Killian teased lightly, "If all it takes is a story and a half seduction to make you change your mind, I'll do it more often."

"No, I'm giving you one last chance. Prove to me that you are the man of honour you say you are."

"Why would I need to prove anything to you?" Killian turned fully towards her, an indifferent expression on his face. Emma gave him a levelled stare that said she wasn't falling for that. Her arms crossed again.

"I thought that lying was against your morals on this ship? If you were treating me as if I was just a regular crewmember, I would've gotten in serious trouble by now. Yet, here I am," she looked about his cabin, "Talking to the captain in his cabin, comfortably."

"I can make your stay even more comfortable...and plenty enjoyable," he winked and stepped forwards, "That's the type of proving I would enjoy."

"How is that proving you're a man of honour?"

"Even men with honour still have needs, love," he gave her a smug look and stepped closer still. "He just needs to find the right woman to sate those needs."

Emma rolled her eyes before looking away from him towards the doors. "Good luck finding that woman, _Captain_."

He watched as she finally did as he requested. Moving to join the rest of the crew. Surely, there would be rumors floating about the ship of how Swan had gone from angry and secluded to working with them all as if nothing happened. Of course, Killian would defend Emma's honor, and wouldn't let anyone know that he knew her true name, or that he doubted her story.

He was falling hard for his Swan, and he didn't know if he wanted to stop.


End file.
